Father Figure
by Quintessential Dreams
Summary: Hermione finds herself in a room filled with Death Eaters and a life changing experience that will leave her fleeing for her sanity. A dear, old friend finds her and convinces her to return back to the world she had left five years ago. Beta-ed Chapters!
1. Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered

Chapter One: Through Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered

Thunder clashed out into the night as the room flashed alive with the electricity that flooded the sky. Being on the seventh floor, rain could be heard as it tumbled over the strong structure. One such woman laid in her bed, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she listened to the loud roar that encased the castle, the sounds filling her head as she tried to fall asleep. Her hand remained glued to her stomach like it had been for the last couple days. She wasn't sure, but she just felt that something was wrong with her. Lightning flashed again and brought her room to life once again around her. She could see the trunk that laid at the end of her bed, the desk to the right. Then it was dark again, but still, those two objects remained imprinted in her mind until the thunder clashed once more and the lightning brightened her room. She could see her door to the small common room; she could also see the door to her bathroom. The storm was beginning to become unbearable as she closed her eyes tightly. A rather loud crash left her squeaking in fear and hiding her head under the covers much like she had done when she was younger.

Dark, billowing robes came behind her, wrapping their hand around her head and grasped her mouth, disallowing speech to come from her. She searched around frantically, soft brown orbs looking every which way. The group she was with had already made it half way up to the castle. Surely they would notice she wasn't with them any longer. To her dismay, her captor began to drag her towards the Forbidden Forest. He dragged her passed Hagrid's hut and through an opening of trees and seemed to be looking for a suitable spot to stop.

Another loud crash rang throughout her room. This time, she couldn't stop the muffled scream that came from her lips. Being Head Girl, she was given special accommodations – despite how much she told the new Headmistress that she didn't need her own quarters, but it seemed as if her old Transfiguration teacher was going to have none of it. With a soft smile, she had accepted the room she shared with the Head Boy. They had become civil towards each other – finding that their constant bickering did absolutely nothing to help them get their job done. And so, for that year, they made a truce to keep their blossoming friendship open only for business matters. Soon, she heard her door open and quietly close shut. "Hermione, are you okay?" The voice was soothing to her. They had finally slipped onto a first name basis and she peeked out from under her covers. With a large flash of lightning, she was the blonde mop of hair she had come to respect. She softly nodded but slowly shook her head as she changed her answer. She knew he had seen her when she felt her bed dip in a bit on her left side. Hermione felt his arms encircle around her and bring her close. "Are you afraid of the thunder?" At this, she nodded. His hug strengthened as he pulled her closer to him.

The figure stopped walking once they were far enough for anyone to see them from the castle and threw her on the ground. Opening her eyes, she looked around. Ten, twenty, thirty Death Eaters stood around her in a circle. She felt the presence of evil behind her and twirled around on her bottom to see Lord Voldemort staring at her. "Wonderful job, Lucius. Have you gotten word from Snape yet?" She whipped her head back around to see the man the Dark Lord referred to. The platinum hair and steely blue eyes showed no remorse for the girl in front of her. Lucius just nodded as he kept his eyes on the girl.

Hermione had somehow made it through the night and was glad when morning finally came. She looked out the window to see that the grounds showed no trace of the storm she had witnessed the night before. A knock came to her door and she quickly removed the covers that tangled around her legs and went to open it. A smile came to her lips when she saw the Head Boy already in his school uniform. "Morning." He said brightly, a smirk-like smile falling on his lips. "I am sorry about the storm. I just wanted to let you know that breakfast starts in twenty minutes." With a nod, Hermione closed the door and looked around her room. She went straight for her trunk and grabbed her own school uniform. Going to the bathroom, Hermione started her shower to warm up the water as she went to go brush her teeth. It didn't take her long before she hopped in the shower and thoroughly cleaned herself before changing into her uniform and robes. Only a week and a half, Hermione. You can do it. Normally, the girl didn't think this way; she would have loved to stay at Hogwarts if it meant not having to face the real world. Harry would have to fight the Dark Lord and no one knew what that outcome would be. Hermione just hoped that everything turned out right – since she wouldn't be there to help. She felt traitorous to her friends for leaving as soon as possible. She didn't want to, but she couldn't hang around here. She just couldn't face him.

"Come, come, my dear girl. We just have a message to relay for Potter." The voice was close to her, in her ear. She could feel the warmth that came from the mouth of the Dark Lord. Hermione was positive that they just wanted to give her a message, or else Lucius would have just given it to her in the form of a note. Hermione closed her eyes as she heard another set of footfalls join the group and heard the icy voice of Voldemort. "Ah, Severus. Welcome to our party." They voice held a faint hint of amusement and Hermione had to open her eyes. She saw her potions professor standing before the Dark Lord and herself. His expression was nonplussed as he looked from Hermione to Voldemort. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't the happiest in being here. "I have a job for you. I have been given a sort of… rumor that you haven't been entirely loyal to me." Voldemort sounded as if he had to search for a word and used one that just didn't seem to fit perfectly. Still, he went on. "Malfoy has graciously brought me Ms Granger to help give a message to Potter." Snape looked as if he were going to open his mouth to say something when the evil male behind her began to speak again. "I entrust that Ms Granger will give my message to the boy, but who is to say I cannot make her fear for her life in the process."

Hermione's eyes widened as she listened to the man behind her. She looked for a twinkle of hope in Snape's dull, black eyes that he wouldn't harm her. She was at a loss when nothing was found. Shutting her eyes, she feared for the worst and tried to keep her cries down. "What is it that you suggest I do to the girl?" Snape drawled at the Dark Lord. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Hermione had for what Voldemort wanted him to do to her. She heard Snape's footsteps walk passed her as she heard the Dark Lord whisper something to Snape. She only realized that it was truly happening when she felt herself grabbed by two of the Death Eaters. It was then that she opened her eyes to see Snape unzip his trousers and felt Lucius pull away her knickers.

Hermione was startled when she heard a knock come to her door. Slowly, it opened to reveal Draco's blonde hair as he looked at her. He noticed how shaken she had become and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. "Are you okay?" He asked her quietly. He knew the answer as soon as the words left his mouth. Pulling away from her, Draco looked at Hermione sympathetically. He knew what happened to her. He had heard it from his father and had confronted Hermione about it. It took her a few weeks for her to stop acting cold and distant towards him, realizing that he had no part in his father's scheme with the Dark Lord. A sigh fell from Hermione's lips and Draco pulled her away gently, looking at her. His smirk-like smile was placed on his lips once more. "Come on, we don't want to be late for breakfast. Potter and Weasley will be there to cheer you up, that is, if they realize that you are upset."

Hermione managed a small smile at his words and nodded weakly. She desperately needed food in her system and talking to Ron and Harry might help more than it could hurt, she hoped. He was about to turn around and make his way down the stairs when she stopped him, softly calling his name. "Draco. I want to thank you. If not for you, I might have just gone down there and done something rather horrible." Hermione looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "He didn't say anything to me. He didn't apologize, he didn't stand up for me, nothing." It was Draco's turn to sigh. He went over and grabbed her hands. He wasn't fond of talking about what his father pressured Snape into doing. He nodded his understanding and pulled her slightly, letting her know that he wanted breakfast just as much as her stomach wanted it. Hermione let Draco pull her and the moment they left the portrait, to which their rooms were secured, he let go of her hands and they went their separate ways. Behind closed doors, they may have been friends, but to keep up pretenses, they went on with their usual bickering and name-calling. When Hermione made it into the Great Hall, she immediately went over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Ginny and across from the boys. She hadn't told them what happened that frightful night, she didn't need Ron worked up more than he already was due to the Quidditch match that afternoon and she knew Harry didn't need the added stress. She also knew that Ginny was dealing with Harry's stress, trying to make sure he remained calm. When she sat down, the boys looked at her, greeted her a good morning and went back into the conversation they had been having.

She looked at Ginny questioningly and the redhead smiled. "Trying to get Ron to ask Luna out." She whispered to Hermione. She nodded her understanding and grabbed for some buttered toast to smear on pumpkin jelly. Her eyes wandered up to the Head table and saw Snape in his usual seat, eating his ham steak and eggs. The boys were oblivious to the interaction, but Ginny caught on quickly. "What's going on between you and him?" Ginny asked quietly. "The boys keep saying that he refuses to notice you during class and has just excluded you fromhis lectures." Hermione just shrugged. Since that night, Snape had acted rather differently to her. He didn't yell at her; he didn't call on her when she was the only one who had an answer to a question; he wouldn't even talk to her when she went to ask him a question. All she had received from the snarky old man was _Go back to your seat, Ms Granger. I'm fully aware at your capacity to figure out the answer to your question on your own._ When Hermione hadn't answered Ginny's question, she felt a sharp jab to the side of her arm. "Hermione. What's with you?" A sad smile came to her lips as she watched her friend's genuine concern for her spike.

Hermione thought about answering Ginny, telling her everything that happened that night, but stopped herself when she noticed that Harry was rising to leave. Looking up, she noticed that half of the students had already left. "I have to go. We'll talk later tonight, right?" She asked Ginny. With a nod from her friend, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the dungeons where she had Potions with Draco and Harry. Taking her usual seat next to Harry, she noticed a small piece of parchment waiting for her. Looking curiously at Harry, she just seemed to shrug. Turning it over, she noticed it was blank. Looking around, she noticed Draco staring at her and decided she would read the invisible note later. Placing it neatly in her pocket of her robes, she returned her attention back to the front where Snape had just walked in. The class was uneventful as she just decided it wasn't worth her time trying to get Snape's attention when she knew the answers. The hour and a half went moderately fast and soon she was walking out of there with Harry, talking rather animated. Suddenly, she remembered the note in her pocket. "Hey Harry, I'll catch up with you, Ginny, and Ron at the game. I need to go do something." With that, Hermione left Harry standing in the hall by himself, looking at her questioningly.

Hermione made her way to the common room she shared with Draco and stepped in to find him standing there, almost as if he were waiting for her. "Hey Hermione." He said quietly. His tone was soft as she walked up to him and sat down on the couch. She waited to see if he wanted to continue. It seemed forever before he began to talk again. "I wanted to ask you a few questions about that night." He said cautiously. She softly nodded, unsure if she wanted to even hear his questions. Taking in a deep breath, she softly nodded her head to and fro, giving him signal that he could go on. A small sigh came from the boy in front of her. Slowly, his lips began to move as she tried her hardest to listen to the words. "I know my father told me what happened… but I want your side of the story." When it seemed evident to him that she wasn't going to answer him that easily, Draco uncharacteristically responded with, "please?"

A small smile lifted her head when she heard the unMalfoy-like plea for her thoughts on how the night had gone for her. All of the images of the night flooded her mind once again. Being captured, hearing his dark voice, telling Snape that he wanted Hermione to fear for her life; to break her. She remembered when she opened her eyes and when the Death Eaters grabbed at her to hold her down. She remembered being ripped apart, her virginity being torn away. She remembered that ugly man Draco called father as he whispered dirty words into her ear, telling her he'd kill her if that note didn't reach Harry. Of course, she had quickly run to the Headmistress's office as soon as she possibly could. She told them about the Death Eaters and Lucius Malfoy dragging her away. She remembered the Dark Lord sneering at her and holding her by the hair tightly. Slowly, she began to tell Draco what had happened. She told him what Snape did to her; she told him about the message relayed to her for Harry. And lastly, she told him how no one else knew within the castle walls with the exception of Draco, Snape, and herself.

When she finished relaying her thoughts to Draco, Hermione looked outside her window to see that the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had already begun. Telling Draco that she had told the boys and Ginny she would be there for the game, she quickly got up to go out the door and quickly onto the stands that surrounded the pitch. She found Luna standing in the bleachers already, cheering on for Gryffindor. Hermione quickly passed by a few of her housemates and slipped beside the blonde-haired girl. "How are they doing thus far?" Hermione called into Luna's ear. The younger girl jumped slightly and turned to see Hermione. She quickly smiled and gave the score. Seventy to fifty with Gryffindor in the lead. She nodded as she searched for her three friends. It didn't take long to spot out the two red heads along with Harry, who was watching the sky carefully. It didn't take long for Harry to spot the snitch. Both teams came down as Harry held out the golden ball for all to see. Gryffindor won two-hundred and twenty to Hufflepuff's infinitesimal fifty. Luna muttered something about going to find Ronald and Ginny to congratulate them. Hermione just smiled and began to walk back to the castle. She could always congratulate the boys and Ginny later when she went to meet them for a bit in their house common room.

Muttering the password to her own common room, Hermione walked in to find Draco sitting on the couch doing some reading. "Getting that potions essay finished?" She asked him with a smile. She sat down next to him to see what it was he was reading as she began to take off her shoes and socks. A _Guide to Understanding Complex Potions Year Seven_. Well, that had answered her question. Looking around the room, she began thinking more on what had happened that night.

The feeling that erupted within her burned painfully. She tried to scream out but she felt one of the Death Eaters place their hand over her lips. "Now, now… we wouldn't want the entire school to think someone was being tortured, now do we?" Tears welled in her eyes as she looked into Lucius Malfoy's eyes. The steel blue hues showed no remorse for her feelings, for what they were putting her though. With a cold hand, Malfoy took her head by her chin and turned her head so that she could watch Snape. "Pretty, isn't he? He loves this part." The words sank into her. Slowly, her lids gave away and a single tear dropped onto her cheek. Suddenly, she felt a rough object being swept over her cheek and felt a slimy residue left over. That was when she realized that Malfoy had just licked the tear away from her. "Dear girl, there is nothing to cry over. You had to lose it sooner or later."

A gasp befell Hermione when she felt the feelings she had experienced that night. Draco looked over at her and curiously stared. "You okay, Hermione?" The brunette softly nodded her head as she brought her legs up and cradled herself. She had been feeling rather sick lately and wondered if she were coming down with the flu. Draco continued to look at her with a sign of sympathy. He knew what his father was capable of and there was no doubt in his mind that Hermione was thinking about that terrible night. "Maybe you should go see Pomfrey." Draco urged her. He had been telling her this ever since she told him what happened to her. Hermione shook her head but this time, Draco wasn't taking no for an answer. He had heard her in her bathroom in the dead of night and the earliest of mornings. Sometimes, Draco had even wondered where the food came from that came up. "If you don't go there now, I'm taking you myself."

With a nod and a sigh, Hermione stood up and pulled on her white socks, followed by her black school shoes. She knew he wasn't just worrying over her randomly and knew something was wrong. Moving out to exit their common room, Hermione made her way to the second floor where the Hospital Wing was located. Opening the door, Hermione looked around the Wing to see if she could spot the nurse. When she didn't come into view, Hermione went to her office and knocked quietly on the door. "Excuse me…" Hermione said quietly. When Madame Pomfrey looked up, she gave Hermione a warm smile.

"What can I help you with, dearie?" Pomfrey said with a smile as she walked over to see Hermione. She brought her back into the hospital wing where the beds rest and had Hermione sit down on a bed.

Hermione looked down at her shoes. "Well, I haven't been feeling quite well these past few weeks. I've been vomiting and haven't had much to eat. Also, I haven't been sleeping well; I've also become afraid of things I shouldn't be afraid of." Hermione spoke so quickly; she even doubted the nurse heard what she said. But Pomfrey had Hermione lie down and cast various spells on the girl. A frown came to her face when she had tried a few different spells and they didn't seem to come out right. Pomfrey then tried a few more and was still rather upset when she couldn't come up with a diagnosis. Finally, she motioned for Hermione to stand up and tried two last spells upon her. When the first one didn't seem to work, she tried the last one. Her frown increased when this one seemed to not work either.

Madame Pomfrey looked up at Hermione with a confused expression. When a grave look overcame her, Hermione looked on curiously. "Maybe this one will work…" she muttered to herself before he eyes lit up. They seemed glad to come up with a diagnosis, but they also looked sad at what that diagnosis had come out to be. "Hermione dear, can I ask you a personal question?" Hermione timidly nodded, suddenly aware at what this question could be. "It may be against school regards, but have you been intimate with anyone? Have you had sex?" Hermione took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to say no, but her head bobbed back and forth, telling the concerned nurse yes. "I see, I see. Well, with you being so close to graduating, I won't tell, but it seems that you are pregnant, my dear." Hermione paled at this. _H-how? How could it hav—oh yes, when Snape raped you._ Hermione just nodded once again, afraid that this could perhaps leak out to the whole school. "Why don't you head back to your chambers and get some rest." Hermione just nodded and turned on her heel to leave when Madame Pomfrey called her back. "Make sure you take this before you go to sleep tonight. It will help with the morning sickness and a lot of the achy and tired joints you've been having." Hermione nodded once again, took the potion bottle from the nurse and quickly went up to the common room she shared with Draco. If anyone had to know, he did. He had been there for her and she hoped that he still would be.

Hermione opened the door to her chambers and quickly went to Draco. She found him on the couch where he hadn't moved, still finishing up essays. Looking up, he was about to say something when Hermione blurted out, "I'm pregnant." Draco looked taken aback at her valid statement. His mouth was hanging ajar from when he was about to speak. "You can't tell anyone." She whimpered lightly, grabbing at his arm. "Please?"

When he seemed to have gained back his voice, he cleared his throat and still looking at her, replied. "Pregnant? Good job, Granger." Looking at him curiously, she looked around the room and saw no one there. Looking at him inquisitively, she whimpered out something incoherent. "Listen that's great for you, might explain why you've been so irritating. Now, why don't you go up to your room and leave me to do my work in peace." She was dumbfounded, but found her feet dragging her to her room.

In her room, Hermione paced, the potion bottle left on her desk forgotten. What could she have done that upset him? Why was he even upset with her, he seemed so caring before then. With an hour to let her thoughts clear and then process, Hermione came up with Draco's comfort and sympathy was all just an act. "He knew what his father was going to do." She said to herself. "He knew and he didn't even warn me." Sighing, Hermione came up with her answer. _If he doesn't want to be _friends_ then we won't be._ And with that done and closed, Hermione took the potion given to her and went to bed early.

The last week was rather uneventful for Hermione. She studied for her N.E.W.T.s and did all the essays she had been assigned. She took her N.E.W.T.s and passed them all with flying colors. She had finally made it. Seven proud years; a perfect record; and graduation right around the corner, Hermione could say she was pleased, if not for the child that grew inside her. Every day she had gone to see the nurse to make sure things were going well and according to plan. A plan she had made up the night after Draco and her stopped being friends and went back to being enemies. He had tried to talk to her about that night, but Hermione would have had none of it. She didn't need to listen to the traitor. She had also begun to spend more time in the Gryffindor common room before she had to go back to her own chambers. She sat and talked with Ginny, she watched as Harry beat Ron for the first time in Wizard's Chess – a very upset Ron followed for the next day and a half before she told him to get over it. She had also accompanied them to Hogsmeade a few times as well.

Everything had been going to plan. At graduation, she sat with her class as they were called up. She had spoken for her class, saying how proud she was of all of them and hoped they all got as far as they wanted in life, be it being an entrepreneur, or Minister of Magic, or even a jack-of-all-trades, if you will – of course, she tried to put into simple English, saying they could do a little of everything. She spoke with great pride and showed her lioness within. "Even though we all may have had a few mishaps here and there, we stuck by our friends and helped each other out with problems." At this, Hermione smiled at Ron and Harry. "I know I've my few of mistakes and troubles here, but I'm glad we all made it to this point. Congratulations everyone." Hermione walked down and back to her seat. They gave out diplomas and certificates stating that they had passed their seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Quickly, Hermione hurried to where the Weasleys were congratulating Ron and Harry on their success and quickly went to hug Hermione as well. The Weasleys had offered the three a ride home each and they took it greatly.

Saying her goodbyes, Hermione walked into her house, found no one home and packed. She searched for all the money she had in her bank as well as a few coins and paper billings her parents owned. Writing them a note, she told them how she was sorry for unable to be home when they returned from their latest convention and Apparated away, without a trace.

**Coming Soon: **Just because you think you have the ideal life with your children, your past always comes back to haunt you...

**Author's Notes: **Well, here it is, the first story I'm about to upload (and I intend on finishing this one). I have it all thought out. ^^ Now, please review and tell me what you think of it. I should have the next chapter up within a few days, since I've been having a few problems with my kidneys. Also, please excuse any mishaps of errors (and please tell me at once) since I am still on the search for a beta reader. And if any of you want to help me out, then I'll be grateful to have your help! Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Nothing in this story belongs to me, just the plot.

**Update:** Just had it beta-ed; I thank you to DBShaw who did an amazing job and helped me see a lot of what was missing for the story.

_Title Courtesy of The Labyrinth_


	2. To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores

Chapter Two: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores

Five Years Later

"Momma! Momma! Look!" A high-pitched voice screamed out as she swung higher and higher into the sky. A young woman came out of the small house and looked on as her daughter had her fun. Her brunette hair reached her mid-shoulder and was hanging loosely in ringlets. The woman walked over to the little girl and smiled softly. Her brown eyes shone brightly for the girl. The actions leading up to her creation weren't of the greatest, but Hermione would disagree that the joys of parenting were a downfall. She moved over to where she stood behind the girl and caught her on her backwards swing. "Aw, Momma, I was going so high though."

Hermione couldn't keep the smile to herself as she picked her daughter up off the swing and placed a gentle kiss to her temple. "I know, Evie. And I was so proud of you. But lunch is ready and Liam can't wait to eat." Hermione and Evie walked into the kitchen where a mop of black hair sat, waiting eagerly for his sister's return to the house. Once they stepped through the door, Evie ran over to where her brother sat and pulled up a seat next to him where her own peanut butter and jelly sandwich sat on a paper plate. "Go on, Li." She said softly. "You can eat." The little boy dug into his sandwich similar to his sister's. Moving over into the small living space, Hermione looked around the house. She had called this place home for the last four years when she showed up on the doorstep.

The wind blew fiercely as the rain dribbled down her wet back and matted her hair to her face. She found the first house that had their lights on passed nine at night and gently knocked at the door, unsure of what kind of face would greet her. When the door opened, an older woman looked down on her. She was heavyset but had warm brown eyes that reminded her of Molly Weasley. "My goodness, dear child. Are you okay?" Hermione shook her head as the woman let her into the house. She had Hermione stand at the front door while she went and retrieved a towel for the poor girl. Holding the towel open, the woman responded. "Come, come, would want to catch a cold, now would we?" Hermione shook her head again and walked into the loving arms of the old lady. She had warmed Hermione by the fire and made her some hot tea as they began to talk. "Now, tell me, why were you out in the pouring rain at this time of night?"

_Hermione had weighed her options as she thought about what to tell the woman – whom she later found was named Caroline Grant – that she had been searching for a kind face to greet her and help her out. She told Mrs. Grant that she had an awful experience that left her with child. The wonderful old woman took her in and helped Hermione with all the prenatal care that went into having a baby. It didn't take Hermione long to figure out that the neighborhood was a muggle one and left her wand and such within the trunk she brought with her._

_One night, Hermione was having terrible cramps that sent her into shock. Groaning, she crept out of her room to call for Caroline. Her surrogate mother – as Caroline insisted she call her since the baby would need a grandmother to fuss over her – brought Hermione to the car where they sped off to the nearest hospital. Seven hours later, Hermione had been with not one baby but two. Fraternal twins. It took a few days to get out of the hospital, having to make sure each baby was healthy and fit and two days afterwards, Hermione found her home with Caroline, each cradling a newborn child. "I still can't believe it, Hermione. Twins." The old woman exclaimed as she blew kisses at the smaller of the two. She proudly held the baby up to look at his mother. "Look here Liam. Mommy is holding Evangeline." Hermione smiled as Caroline gave her new son his nickname. _

Looking back into the kitchen where the two rascals were still eating, Hermione couldn't help the frown. Just last year, she had helped Samantha and David laidtheir mother to rest. They had also given her permission to use the house until she found someplace better. The twins took it rather hard, having to see their only grandparent pass before them at such a young age. "Mom, I'm done eating." She heard the small, male voice cry out. She looked up to see Liam getting out of his chair and hold up the plate to show her. Nodding, Liam went to throw the plate in the trash before resuming his earlier playing. It didn't take Evie long to call out that she too had finished eating. Showing Hermione her plate as well, she went to throw it in the trash and went back outside to swing some more.

Hermione sighed. Evangeline had grown into her nickname when they were just starting to talk. Liam was trying to call out his sister's name when it came out as "Evielyn." The cute shorter version just seemed to stick with the little girl. Walking into Liam's bedroom, she watched as he played with his toys. "Having fun, baby?" She asked him, a smile on her face. "Mind if I join you then?" He nodded appreciatively and Hermione went to go sit on the floor next to him. He was playing with a bunch of toy cars and trucks that Caroline's son David gave to Liam. She didn't talk to them now most days, just a few simple hellos and goodbyes that passed between them. Sometimes a conversation would strike up if Hermione had the kids with her.

Liam had set up his racetrack and held two cars at the top. Looking at Hermione, he softly, called for her attention. "Mom, you need to put up two cars." He said matter-of-factly. She smiled fondly at her son and picked up two random cars. "Not those. Those are the bad cars. I picked out the red one and the white one." Placing the two cars she had picked up back in their place in the box, she picked up the two cars Liam had taken out for her. "Are you ready?" he asked and looked to his mother expectantly. Hermione just gave him a simple nod, waiting for his next instructions. "On the count of three. One, two, three." At the last word that came from his lips, Hermione let go of her two cars just as her son had done. She watched as the looped and twirled around each other and was satisfied when one of the cars Liam had won. "You came in second, Mom." He said happily, hugging her. Hermione nodded, placed a kiss on his forehead and said she was going to check on Evangeline.

As she made her way to the kitchen and through the glass door, she watched as her four-year-old daughter played in the sandbox Caroline had bought for them a year before she passed. Evie turned around and smiled at her mother. Hermione walked over to Evie and sat in the wooden sandbox where Evie was making a sand castle. "Hey Evie. Think I could play with you for a bit?" The little girl nodded and went back to making the moat that went around the castle walls. Picking up a pail and shovel, Hermione began putting dry sand into it, making a mold.

"Momma?" The little girl's voice peeked out.

"Yes?" Hermione looked to her little girl, waiting for her to say what she had on her mind. When Evie wanted to, she could act her age, younger, and sometimes even surprise Hermione saying things that put her wise beyond her years.

"Can we go out and have lunch and then go to the water park tomorrow?" The brunette placed a kiss on the girl's matted hair. She nodded once before placing the full pail upside-down and pulled out the molded sand to look like a castle tower. Taking a spoon she had let Evie and Liam take out to the sandbox, she began to dig out a hole for the door and some windows. When she was finished, Hermione stood up and began walking back towards the house. She had a few chores she needed to get done before calling the kids in. They usually would watch a few cartoons while Hermione thought about dinner and what to make.

As Hermione passed through the door, she went to go sit at the table. Her mind went to the past where her roots lay. She hadn't been back there in so many years. Closing her eyes, she pictured everyone. Ron and his red hair, talking animatedly to Harry about God only knew what. There was Ginny riding on her broom as she played her position in Quidditch. Harry with his green eyes and black hair, he had always listened when she needed to talk. Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, Luna, everyone she pictured within her mind. She wasn't sure who survived and who passed on with the war. She had read that Harry defeated the menace. Suddenly, her parents came to mind. They still hadn't met their grandchildren yet. Biting her lip, she looked towards Liam's room and then out where Evie was playing. "I want you both to meet them. All of them." She looked down at the table and thought for a moment. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. "But I can't go back. I can't face them. I can't tell them who your father is…" When she opened her eyes, she saw Liam coming out of his room. Walking up to his mother, he gave her a big smile. Grinning at her son, she pulled him into her lap and kissed his cheek. "I was thinking about having macaroni and cheese for dinner, what do you think?" She couldn't help the laugh when his smile grew a few inches as he nodded furiously. Placing him back on the floor, she patted his bottom towards the glass door. "Go get your sister and I'll put on something for you to watch."

As Liam rushed out the door, Hermione walked over to the living area and turned on the television. The twins were fans of the nick show networks. Turning to one of the channels, she found Dora the Explorer on. Evie loved the show, but Liam wasn't the biggest fan of it. She turned to another kid friendly station. She then found an episode of Bob the Builder on and frowned once again. Liam loved the show, but Evie just couldn't sit still long enough to get through an episode. She then changed it to the last kid friendly channel she was aware of and was pleased to see that Sesame Street was on. "Elmo!" She heard Evie yell as she ran over and sat on the couch. Hermione couldn't hide the smile when she then saw Liam plop up on the couch as well and watched the show. They were truly two peas in a pod. With the black hair of their father and the brown eyes they inherited from their mother, Hermione swore they acted like each other more and more. Walking back into the kitchen, she grabbed out a box of macaroni and placed it on the counter before going to the refrigerator and grabbed the box of spread-able cheese. She could hear the twins talking amiably between each other.

Hermione grabbed a large pan from under the sink and poured in about half of the box of macaroni. She then added water into it and turned on the stove to let it come to a boil. Every once and a while, she would stir around the noodles so that they wouldn't stick to the bottom. She was beginning to place the cheese on a microwavable bowl when she heard the nice chatter begin to sound sour. Placing the plate down, she peeked into the living room. The argument wasn't too bad and so she went back to the kitchen. Usually, they could work it out. It wasn't until someone got hurt did Hermione have to intervene. Placing the bowl in the microwave, she closed the door and went back to the stove. She began to stir the cheese again when she heard a sharp cry from the living room.

Quickly running into the room, she saw Evie holding her head, tears pouring from her eyes and Liam standing there, holding something behind his back. Walking over, she picked Evie up and held her to her chest as she shushed the girl. Looking at Liam, she calmly asked, "William, what do you have behind your back." She gave him a minute to answer and when it seemed as if he wasn't going to tell or show her, she asked him again. "Show me what you hit your sister with." Her voice was stern as she looked at the four-year-old. Again, she gave him a minute or so to answer her. When he didn't, she kneeled down to his level and forcefully – but still gently – turned him around to see one of his hollow, plastic baseball bats in his hand. "William James, what in the world were you thinking?" The little boy began to tear up as he began to understand that he was in trouble. "Give Mummy the bat and go to your room. Now." Giving his mother the bat, he ran to his room. She looked at her daughter and checked for any bruises or bumps where she was holding her head. "Are you okay, baby girl?" The little girl shook her head as a new fit of tears began to erupt from her. Thinking on her feet, Hermione looked at the kitchen. "Want to help Mumma make dinner?" Evie loved playing "Mommy" and would help Hermione make dinner for her "babies". The babies usually consisted of Liam and a few of her baby dolls she had gotten over the few years. Evie nodded, wiping her eyes of the salty residue and let her mother put her down. They both walked into the kitchen and Hermione pulled out the stool for Evie to stand on. "Can you push the numbers 2, 3, and 0 for Mumma?" The little girl looked for the numbers and made sure Hermione was watching, making sure she was pressing the right numbers. She then pressed start and walked over to her mother. Smiling, Hermione placed a hand on the girl's head, caressing the long hair.

The two girls made dinner for a good twenty minutes before placing three bowls of macaroni on the table. Hermione told her daughter to get out three forks and place them on the table. She could then begin eating while Hermione went to go speak with Liam. Opening his door, Hermione heard him say, "go away" and then there was silence. Peeking in, she saw as her son lay in his bed, his pillow over his head and stuffed duck under his right arm. "William, would you like to tell Mommy why you hit Evangeline?" She got silence from her son and she walked over to sit on his bed. "You are not going to get any macaroni and cheese if you don't tell Mommy why you would hit your sister with the bat." Liam stuck his head out from under the pillow, his eyes tear-streaked. She sighed and looked at her four-year-old son. "Please tell me." She added softly, brushing a hand through his raven locks.

"She hit me first." He said quietly, looking away. He was well aware of what she was going to say next.

"Liam, two wrongs do not make the situation right. If she hit you, you should have come and told me. I would have dealt with it." She watched her son's actions carefully, seeing what he would do next. The boy sat up and crawled into his mother's lap, apologizing for hitting Evie. "I'm not the one you need to tell. Go tell Evie that you are sorry."

The boy nodded and got up off her lap and went out of the room with Hermione right behind him. They came into the scene of Evie eating her dinner peacefully. She eyed Liam warily as she placed her fork in her mouth. Hermione looked down at Liam and pushed him closer to his sister as if telling him to say he was sorry. "I'm sorry for hitting you Evie." He said quietly. It looked as if Evangeline was going to accept his apology before Liam added, "but you shouldn't have hit me. Mommy said it wasn't nice." The girl's mouth closed immediately, looking at her mother, afraid she was going to be reprimanded.

Hermione looked down at Liam and shook her head. "There was no need for that last part, Liam. I can handle that when I need to. Now go and eat your dinner before it gets too cold." Liam walked over to his seat next to Evie and sunk down in the seat. He began to pick at his food as Hermione sat down across the table from them. When Evie showed her mother the clean plate, Hermione nodded and told her to go and watch what was left of Sesame Street. Hermione and Liam ate in silence and when he showed his mother the clean plate, she nodded and told him to return to his room. Appalled, Liam began to argue with her. "William. You hit your sister. You are being punished. Go back to your room." Liam sulked all the way to his room and closed his door. Hermione stopped eating for a moment to rub her eyes. She hated when the twins didn't behave. She knew that children don't behave all the time, but there were times Hermione liked to believe that her kids were better than the average four-year-old. Looking over, she watched as Evie sat on the couch, her stuffed dog in hand as she watched the show. Her fingers were stuck in her mouth as she sucked on them. "Evie, fingers out of your mouth, baby." Hermione called over to her. The years of her parents' work in dentistry had helped Hermione figure out that sucking one's fingers would leave you with bucked teeth – something her own parents tried to warn her of when she was a mere child herself. The girl instantly dropped her fingers from her lips as she turned to look at her mother sheepishly. A smile came to Hermione as she shook her head at Evie. The girl was brilliant – wiser than her age let on – but she still couldn't break the nasty habit. _I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree._ Hermione thought amused. Turning back to her dinner, she finished it up before bringing her own plate to the kitchen and washed off the dishes to place them in the dishwasher.

Walking into the living room, Hermione shut off the television just as Sesame Street was ending and looked at Evie. The girl knew it was bath time. Getting off the couch, Hermione watched as her daughter went into the bathroom. She walked to Liam's door and knocked on it. Without letting him answer, she opened the door and told him it was time for his bath. Complying, he went into the bathroom with his mother where his sister – already stripped down to her panties – was standing, waiting for the other two. Hermione went to turn on the water to warm up the tub. She helped Liam get off his clothes and then checked to make sure the water was at a nice temperature. Liam was first. He was the easiest to clean. She washed his hair as Hermione let Evie play with the bath toys she had bought them to keep the other child entertained. Rinsing his hair completely, she placed the cup back down and grabbed a wash cloth to clean his body. Evie was next. Evie's long hair reached her back and ended in little ringlets. Gathering up the hair, Hermione placed a generous amount of shampoo on the damp hair and began working it into a lather. Soon, she was having Evie put her head back and rinse out her hair before adding a step she hadn't done for Liam. She combed her fingers through her daughter's hair as she placed conditioner in her hair to make it soft and workable before bed.

When Hermione was finished washing the twins, she dried each of them off and sent them to their respective rooms. A set of Bob the Builder pajamas were set out for Liam. She moved into Evie's room where she saw her daughter getting out a princess nightgown and a pair of panties for her to wear to bed that night. Once tucked in bed, Hermione went to check in on Liam. He was already dressed in his underpants and bottoms and looked to be having trouble with his top. She quickly went to his side and helped him pull the shirt down. "It's time for bed, Liam. We're getting up early to go feed the duckies and meet up with Lauren and Sasha." The boy's eyes widened as the names came up. Lauren was a mother she had met when Hermione enrolled Liam and Evie into a daycare and she had introduced the twins to her youngest daughter Sasha. "I was also thinking about going out to lunch." The boy nodded and quickly shut his eyes to show his mother that he wanted to go to sleep. Giving the boy his duck teddy, she placed a kiss to his forehead. "Good night, son." Hermione shut off his light and closed his door, leaving it open a crack so that she would hear if he was whimpering or crying. She walked back into the room adjacent to Liam's. She saw her daughter in her bed, a book in her hand as she looked at the pictures. Evie and Liam were just beginning to get the hang of reading and it warmed her heart when she saw a book under their arm. "Evangeline." Hermione called out. The little girl looked up and smiled at her mother. "What are you reading, angel?" Evie held up a book that bore Dora on the front. It was the book they had bought just a week ago. Evie had thrown a tantrum due to wanting it and just once, Hermione gave in to her daughter's whines – mostly because it was a book. "Time for bed, Eves." The girl nodded and placed the book on the table next to her bed. Hermione did the same to her door as she had done Liam's, leaving it open just a crack.

Hermione woke up that morning to find the sun shining brightly in her face. Opening her eyes, she looked to see two blurry figures standing at the end of her bed. "Morning Momma!" She heard the voice of her daughter as she crawled up on the bed. "Liam and I have been waiting for you to get up for a long time." Disoriented, Hermione blinked a few more times to see Liam at the end of her bed and Evie kneeling on her bed.

Sitting up, she pulled her daughter into her arms and smiled, giving her a hug. Hermione watched as Liam stood there, trying to act like a good boy. Urging him to come up on the bed, he quickly scampered up and lay in her arms. "So we're going to get dressed and meet up with Lauren and Sasha to feed the ducks?" The twins nodded and not wanting to waste any time, they both jumped off of the bed and went to their rooms to get dressed. Hermione quickly followed to make sure they got out items of clothing that matched. She watched as Liam pulled out a pair of jeans – she would have to help him with the button – and a button-up shirt – again, help him with the buttons – and found underpants and socks. Liking what he chose, Hermione moved to Evie's room to see what she chose. Hermione watched as her daughter had chosen a jean skirt with white leggings. She then went in search of a shirt. Frowning, she looked at her door where she saw her mother.

"Momma, I can't find a shirt that will go with my skirt." Walking into the room, Hermione browsed around in Evie's closet to see what it had to offer. She took out two shirts that looked nice on Evie and placed them on the bed. Hermione watched as her daughter chose from them. "I really like this green one, Momma... will it go though?" Hermione nodded and placed a soft kiss on her temple.

"Mommy..." Hermione looked to where her son stood in the doorway and smiled. He had on the button-up shirt opened and waiting for her to button it and his jeans on with the button still undone. Smiling softly, she moved to help her son and then brought him out into the kitchen to find some breakfast. "I'm sorry I was bad." He said quietly, looking at the table where he sat. He had decided to have a bowl of cereal with milk and was waiting for Hermione to bring it to him.

When she placed the bowl in front of him, she moved to sit down next to him. "I know you're sorry Liam. And I thank you for the apology." A sigh came from Hermione as she looked at the dark-haired boy. "I just don't understand why you thought you could hit your sister." At that moment, the little boy next to her placed a heaping mouthful of cereal so that he didn't have to explain to her. "You'll tell me sooner or later." She said before standing up. Just as she was about to go to her room, she saw Evie come out of her room. "What would you like for breakfast, baby girl?"

Evangeline looked up at her mother and thought about it for a minute. "Can I have cereal?" She asked. Hermione nodded and grabbed another bowl from above the sink and poured the same cereal for Evie as she had done for Liam. She put milk in the bowl and grabbed a spoon as she made her way to the table where Evie sat next to her brother. "I'm going to go get dressed and then we'll be on our way." Both children nodded as they ate their cereal.

Hermione walked into her room and looked around. She knew it was going to be a warm day for November. _Sometimes I miss London... the summers are too warm here and the winters are just as warm._ She thought as she picked out a pair of flared jeans. _Why in heavens did I come to Florida?_ She questioned herself. Leaving it unanswered, she pulled on a light shirt that fell just below her waist. Pulling on socks and sneakers, Hermione walked back out into the kitchen where her kids were just about to place their bowls in the sink. Walking over to them, she looked inside and was proud to see that they had both finished their breakfast. "Go brush your teeth and we'll be on our way." They nodded and ran off to the bathroom.

It didn't take long for them to get ready and get into the small car Hermione had bought after receiving her license. They made their way over to Mountain Lake in Spring Lake, Florida. Hermione was trying to get the twins out of their car-seats, but found herself having trouble due to their eagerness in seeing their friend. Hermione grabbed the bag she packed for the kids and herself and shut the door, locking it. She watched as Evie and Liam shot off to see Sasha. Hermione heard as Lauren stifled a giggle. "They seem so excited to be here today." Said Lauren as she came in step with Hermione far behind the kids. Hermione couldn't help the nod as she watched the twins shove off towards the lake. "How are you holding up, Hermione." She heard her friend say. She knew only parts of the story – being the first and only person besides Draco Malfoy to hear her sob story.

A sigh escaped her as she watched as the three kids ran to the lake's edge, trying to get the attention of the ducks. "It's been hard, Lori." Hermione looked at her friend. "They've been acting out more and more. It's hard to keep track of them sometimes." Her friend nodded.

"Ever think of going to see their father back in London?" Hermione knew this question was coming. Lauren had asked it many times before and Hermione would give her the same answer of _It's more difficult than that. I don't even think he wants to see me._ They sat down at a bench as Liam poked Evie with a small stick. The little girl pushed him away and then went back to looking at the ducks. "He has a right to know, Hermione." The brunette just nodded as she watched her children interact with their friend. She knew Lauren was right, that part she would never doubt. It was the fact that she was afraid to go back that restricted her from going to see Severus.

When Hermione noticed a tugging sensation on her shirt, she looked down to see Evie crying, blooding beading at her arm. "Liam poked me too hard with the stick." Hermione's eyes instantly singled out Liam and glared at him. The boy sheepishly stepped back in fear of his mother's wrath. "It hurts..." Hermione brought her attention back to her daughter's situation and opened the pack and searched for the small first aid kit. Cleaning it off, she dried it before placing a Hello Kitty bandage over the small cut and placed a loving kiss on it.

"I think we're going to go soon." She told her daughter before standing up. "William, over here please." The boy sulked over to where his mother called him and refused to look into her eyes. She kneeled down so that the only place he could look at was her face. "Didn't you learn from last night?" She asked him, her voice incredulous. "I just can't believe this. William, what happened to my sweet baby boy? Where did he go to be placed by this monster?" Liam teared up at his mother's words. Sighing quietly, she pulled him into a hug as the tears began to drop. "Oh, Liam, I still love you. I will always love you. But you need to behave. I don't like punishing you any more than you like being punished."

William just seemed to nod as his eyes drifted from his mother's face. "I'm sorry Mommy." Looking over to his sister, he called out to her. "I'm sorry Evangeline." Satisfied with her son's ability to apologize to his sister without being asked, Hermione hugged him again and then stood up. Looking at his mother, Liam curiously asked, "Are we still going out to lunch?" Hermione smiled and nodded as she took his hand.

Hermione took the kids to a small sandwich shop just outside their hometown to grab a bite to eat. As she walked in, she saw a patch of platinum blonde hair peek out from behind a newspaper. Her mind curiously thought of who it could be since she had never seen him here before. Shrugging it off, she stood in line where she waited to give her order. "Eves, what do you want for a sandwich." Her daughter asked for a ham and cheese and white bread. She had also explained how she didn't want it brown because it was too crunchy for her. Nodding, Hermione asked if she wanted mayonnaise on it and Evangeline nodded. "And what would you like, Li?" She asked her son.

"I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But I only want apple jam." Hermione nodded.

"I don't want peanut butter and jelly." Hermione smiled at her son.

Hermione laughed and patted her son on his shoulder "You don't have to have the same as your sister, what do you want instead?"

"I want a ham and pickle sandwich," said Liam defiantly, folding his arms across his small chest. Hermione smiled, her son always knew what he wanted.

As she waited in line, she looked around at what she wanted to get and as soon as they reached the counter, she ordered the twins' sandwiches and asked for a roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and toasted bread with mustard. She paid her bill and they went to go wait for the order at the end of the counter. As they waited, Hermione surveyed the area of the small eatery and noticed the strange blonde hair again. She felt it reminded her of someone she knew, but she just couldn't place her finger on it. "Mommy, the sandwiches." Nodding, she looked back at the small plump man and smiled. Taking the three plates. She brought the twins over to a table and helped them each sit in their chair.

Hermione paid for their order and once everything had been placed upon a tray she led the twins to a table, though all the while she could not shake the feeling that she had seen something familiar and the thought was beginning to scrape at the inner wall of her skull. She had looked around a few times before trying to ignore the sensation and went back to eating. Hermione couldn't ignore the sensation any longer when she heard the soft voice reach her ears. "Hello Hermione. It's been quite a while since I last saw you."

Choking on her sandwich, Hermione turned around to see the blonde hair and steel grey eyes that belonged to Draco Malfoy. "I know our last chat wasn't one of our great conversations, I need you to hear me out."

Hermione looked at her children as they ate oblivious to the man who stood at their table; dumbfounded by his presence she returned her glance to her former friend. "We need to talk, but not in front of them" she gestured her index finger towards her children "You can meet us in the park."

At the mention of the word 'park' the twins looked up with large smiles of enthusiasm and as Draco nodded and slipped out of the café, Hermione had her hands full to prevent Liam from trying to swallow his pasty whole.

Hermione found Draco waiting for her on a bench opposite the play area; she let Evie and Liam run gleefully into the wood-chipped grounds before she seated herself cautiously next to Draco. "It's been five years" she began.

"Hermione," Draco said but Hermione held her hand up so she could continue.

"It's been five years but I still remember how you made me feel that night, it took us nearly half a year to reach speaking terms and I never got an explanation as to what I did to you."

Draco sighed and tucked some of his blonde locks behind his ear "We weren't alone that night" he said "In the common room, my father was there, he was hiding. He suspected that I was growing close to you and becoming your friend, he couldn't allow that and he needed me to prove myself to him."

Hermione said nothing, she watched as Evie and Liam climbed either end of a seesaw and began to bounce up and down.

"They're cute," said Draco "What did you call them?"

"Evangeline Hollie and William James" She told him "Evie and Liam for short." She watched as they played together nicely for a change. "They've been tough to raise but I think I've finally got the hang of it." She looked to Draco and then back at her twins. "How is everyone?"

Draco quirked his eyebrow before he answered. "Potter and Weaselby have been searching for you since you disappeared. I heard that your parents had just given up on trying to find you." He looked at the twins; they both reminded him of Hermione as much as they did Snape from their hair to their noses. They even walked like him – or at least the girl did, having an air of arrogance to her, which to Draco's mind could have come from either one of their parents. He smirked at that and began to wonder which house they would both end up in. "You really should come back" he said, "muggle life is wasted on you."

"I've been thinking about it" she said "I want to but I just… can't." She did not turn her gaze from her children and she sighed softly "How did you find me?"

He turned his eyes to her "I didn't, it was a complete accident." Draco tilted his head in the direction of the café "As much as I would like to take the credit of course I have to confess that I'm on a case for work…"

"Work?" said Hermione "You?"

"Alright, no need to be cute" said Draco with a slight smirk "I happened upon that café and thought it made a nice change, it can be nice once in a while to be away from magic."

Hermione nodded, being away from magic was something she definitely understood. "I haven't used my wand for almost five years, I don't need it." Draco looked at her with an expression that read half confusion, half disbelief. She smirked and looked back at him "Well I haven't, the kids don't even know they could be wizards."

"They _are_ wizards" said Draco "I doubt that an infuriatingly talented witch such as yourself could ever spawn a squib."

"Draco, I've tried my hardest to keep that part of their life away from them, they need a normal life. The way they came into this world," she paused and sighed slightly before continuing, "They don't need to ask questions which they are too young to understand the answers for."

"You should go back, Hermione, everyone deserves to see them." He paused and bit the inside of his cheek; before they had become friends he hadn't exactly been Mr. Considerate. Even though it had been some time since they had last spoken, he didn't like the niggling part of his conscious that wanted him to choose his words rather than speak his mind. "He should see them too. My father told him about your outburst that night. He came to me and spoke with me about it. He couldn't trust my father and had noticed how close we got during seventh year."

"I don't know what I would say to him" she admitted "it's been so long since I've seen them. Since I've spoken to anyone in the wizarding world, the only connection I've had is the Daily Prophet." Hermione bit the inside of her lip as she brought her eyes back to Liam and Evie. Frowning, she watched as her daughter held her head once more. "One Moment." She told Draco before stalking off in the direction of the twins. "What in the world is going on with the both of you?" Evie looked at her mother as tears poured. "What happened?" She looked to be in no mood for games as she looked from one child to the other.

Liam was the first to speak. "Evangeline threw sand at me."

His sister quickly spoke up after her twin accused her of throwing sand. "Well, it was only because he hit me again, Mommy." She pointed at her head and then at her brother. "He used that stick over there." Hermione followed her daughter's arm and saw the medium sized stick on the ground. Looking to Liam, she sighed before taking them each by the hand.

"You two are going to have to learn to play nicely together." Hermione said as she brought the two young children toward the bench Draco was still sitting on. She lifted each child one at a time and placed them onto the bench "I love you both but you drive me to distraction, you need to be trusted to be able to spend ten minutes together without hitting one another."

Draco smiled and stood up, scooping Liam into his arms. "This is why you should come back; Potter and Weaselby would be falling over each other to help you." He smirked slightly "Though if you left them for any length of time with Mother Weaselby they'd be practically spherical."

Hermione laughed a little and lifted Evie into her own arms "I know, Draco, it's just been so long and… and I'm scared of what people are going to say to me."

"Sod people, your friends miss you" he smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder "We all do." He helped Hermione across the road to the café and put Liam back on the ground as Hermione did with her daughter; both children quickly slipped their hands into their mothers. "Just think about it."

Hermione watched Draco take his leave, he walked around a corner and she heard a _pop_ sound, the sound of apparation was something she hadn't heard for a long time. She took her children's hands and began walking them back to their house.

"Mommy, who was that?" asked Evie.

"That was an old friend of Mummy's," said Hermione "An annoying but possibly right friend of Mummy's." Hermione squeezed her daughter's hand and gave both her children a large smile "So tomorrow we're going to take a trip and go meet some of Mummy's old friends." The little girl nodded and began happily counting the paving stones as they walked. That night Hermione would retrieve her wand from the place she'd left it five years before and make sure she hadn't forgotten how to use it.

**Coming Soon:** Y'know... people move on with their lives with or without you; 'tis a fact of life.

**Author's Notes:** Well, here we go, another chapter popped out. I personally think this one was much better than my first one. First off, I _wrote_ more. Secondly, I feel I may have made the twins sound a bit more mature than they are for that age. I've been around small kids all my life and each one of them has been different in every possible way. Liam is more like a cousin I have while Evie is more like a little girl I know through someone else. They're both good kids and I love them to death. Tell me what you think! I am also thinking about changing the name of the story. What do you think it should be? **The only thing that belongs to me is Evie and Liam; everything else is JK Rowling and Warner Bros.**

_Chapter Title courtesy of William Shakespeare_


	3. Life's A Voyage That's Homeward Bound

Chapter Three: Life's A Voyage That's Homeward Bound

Hermione had been up the entire night trying to figure out how she could transfer the children to London. They had neither thought of the magic they nor their mother possessed, so apparating, portkey, and floo powder were all out of the question. Hermione never liked planes – in fact she usually felt sick on them – so they couldn't get to London that way. There were always boats, but she wasn't sure if she could get three tickets – and even have enough money – to go via boat. Hermione sat at her desk the entire night, scribbling out and writing down new ways they could find their way to London. "Momma... what are you doing up?" Hermione looked over at the clock to see that it had just turned three in the morning. Sighing, she turned around to look at her daughter who stood in the doorway of her office. "Aren't we going on a trip tomorrow? You will be all tired and sleepy." A lazy smile made it to Hermione's face as she stood up and picked up the little girl, placing a kiss to her temple. The girl was right, but they still had no transportation overseas and Hermione knew Evie wouldn't understand that.

Still, Hermione tried to explain to her daughter. "We have to go all the way to England." She started out. Walking over to the map that hung on her wall, she pointed to where Florida was located in the life-size map. "We are right here." She then dragged her finger all the way across the ocean and then put her finger where she used to live. "And we have to go all the way over to here to see Mummy's friends." She looked at her daughter who seemed to be trying to contemplate the situation. "Mummy needs to figure out how we will get from Florida to England." The little girl just seemed to nod, but Hermione was unsure if she truly understood the complication of it all. Pulling her arm away from the wall-to-wall map, she began to make her way out of the office and back to where Evie slept at night. "I think you should go back to sleep, love." Hermione told her daughter as she placed her back down in the bed and covered her up. "We have a big day tomorrow and you have a lot of people to meet." Feeling her daughter might just be satisfied with the explanation, Hermione went to close the door, leaving it open just barely a crack so that she would hear if Evie got up again. "Good night Evie."

Going back to her office, Hermione stood over her desk to look at the scribbled piece of paper. _From Florida to England_ it read on the top. Many options were written with the majority of them scribbled out. _Floo Powder Portkey Aparating Boat Plane_. Then, Hermione looked at what wasn't scribbled out. Train. She wasn't even sure if one could transport themselves from one side of the ocean to the other with a train. Frowning, Hermione looked at the other five options she crossed out. _What if I took the kids while they were sleeping?_ Hermione thought. But then what would she do after that? She thought back to the other day when she bumped into Draco. He had never explained how he had gotten to Florida, just that he was working on a case and needed to get away for a while. Hermione found herself frowning again. Leaving the paper, she went to go check on her twins. She watched as Liam laid on his side, stuffed duck at his side. She smiled at him. He was her baby; merely minutes younger than Evangeline. She then turned to where her daughter had fallen back asleep. She was on her back, thumb stuck in her mouth. Evangeline didn't sleep with one animal, but five. She had her kitty, her doggie, both of her penguins, and her tiger. Evie insisted she needed five animals on her bed to sleep with. Hermione had quit arguing with the girl months earlier, feeling it was just a losing battle.

The thought she had earlier came back to mind. But if she did take the kids while they were sleeping, where would she go afterwards? She didn't have a real home back in England. She left it five years ago. She brought her eyes back onto her daughter's form once again. The girl had turned herself away from Hermione to lie on her side. She knew the thumb was still in that mouth and at least two of the animals under her arm. "Mummy is going home." She said quietly as to not wake the kids. "And she's taking both of you." Deciding that she could always go to the Burrow, Hermione unpacked her wand, grabbed three suitcases and filled them with clothes and other items they might need. She shrunk all three so that they would fit in her pocket when she got dressed. Moving around her room, Hermione grabbed a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt as she knew the climate would be colder in England. Pulling on a pair of sneakers, she tiptoed into Evie's bedroom and grabbed a coat for her. Hermione gently placed it on the little girl before letting her go back to sleep. Hermione hadn't forgotten to make sure she grabbed all five of her daughter's animals before she had finished packing. She then moved to Liam's room and dressed him in his own heavy coat before she walked out of his room. She looked for the pram they used when the twins got tired of walking and shrunk it down to place it with the suitcases in her pocket. Taking one last look around the house to make sure she grabbed everything they would need before she went into Liam's room to pick up the little boy. After grabbing her daughter, Hermione closed her eyes and thought of the Burrow. Hermione suddenly disappeared into the dark night.

When she appeared, she couldn't help the shiver that ran through her when she saw the old, dilapidated house held up by magic. It had been the longest time since she had seen this house. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before she opened her eyes and went on her way up towards the house. Knocking on the door, she waiting till it opened. The door swung open to reveal Mrs. Weasley. "Hermione?" The older woman gave her a shocked look and tried to keep her bearings. "Harry and Ronald have been searching for… We thought something awful…" She stopped to look down at the children in her arms. "Oh my…" Mrs. Weasley held out her arms to take a child. Hermione let Mrs. Weasley take William from her arms and smiled as she watched the older woman hold the small child. "He's adorable, dear." Hermione couldn't help the smile that came to her as she took a step forward when Mrs. Weasley urged her to come inside. Hermione was about to speak when she was asked if she wanted any breakfast. Shaking her head, Hermione went to sit at the table where she came to face Mr. Weasley. When he looked up, he stopped eating, quite curious as to whether or not his eyes deceived him. "Oh, Arthur, look it here. Hermione is alive and safe." She stopped for a moment to look at the boy in her arms. "And has brought guests."

Hermione smiled shyly when she saw Mr. Weasley looking at her. "So it seems she is." He said before looking at the children in the women's' arms. "And the children are precious." Hermione looked down at her daughter who began stirring.

Opening her eyes, Evie looked around the room at her surroundings and then looked to see who was holding her. Whimpering, Hermione smiled at Evie and held her tighter. "Momma…" she spoke quietly, unsure if the others who were in the room were trustworthy. "Who are they?" Hearing her daughter, Hermione thought of the answer. She didn't know how else to explain who the people were except that they were Mum's friends. Feeling that the answer wouldn't suffice just yet, she just nudged her daughter to go back to sleep. It didn't help when she heard her son begin to whimper for his mother.

"Oh dear, there, there." Hermione heard Mrs. Weasley say to her son. Looking over to where the woman held her son, she frowned when she saw the tears that started to form in the corners of his eyes. It had seemed that Mrs. Weasley had also seen the tears and softly dabbed at them with her apron. "Shh, shh, don't worry my boy. It's alright." Hermione couldn't help the smile that came to her when she saw that her son stopped his whimpering and settled down once again. Hermione felt the eyes of the older couple on her. "Hermione, dear. How did you come to be in possession of these two angels?"

She thought on the answer that wouldn't give away the problems she had faced as a teenager. "They are mine, Mrs. Weasley—" Hermione was quickly stopped by the elder woman and told that she could call her Molly. "Right, well, they are my children, Molly." She looked down at her daughter who looked rather frightened. "This is my daughter, Evangeline…" she gave a large hug to her daughter, "and that is William." Hermione's smile slightly widened when she watched Molly hug Liam close to her. "They're four years old." She said suddenly, aware that it would give away to Molly that she was pregnant during school. Molly said nothing, but the expression on her face told Hermione that the woman knew when she got pregnant.

The awkward silence that followed made Hermione nervous. It wasn't until Molly said something did Hermione let herself breathe again. "Do you have any place to stay, dear?" Hermione shook her head and frowned. "My, then, maybe then you should stay here till you find a place." Hermione just nodded. She wasn't sure what to say and found that she still hadn't told Molly and Arthur that she hadn't told the children about their magical heritage. Standing up, she took Liam from Molly and went into the living room to place them down. After talking Evie into sleeping, Hermione placed a kiss on each child's head and walked back into the kitchen. "Is there something you want to tell us, Hermione, dear?"

Hermione took in a deep breath and nodded. She knew this was going to come sooner or later. Sitting back down, Hermione closed her eyes and tried to get her heartbeat under control. "Liam and Evie are a special case." She started. "But I feel that I should explain them when everyone is here. Are they coming over?" Molly just nodded. "Well, neither of them know they have magical blood running through their veins." Hermione brought her eyes up to meet Molly's. "For the past five years, my wand has been packed away in my trunk and until tonight, I hadn't used it since I left." Suddenly, the door opened and Hermione turned around to see Harry and Ginny. Ginny looked to be carrying a small bundle in her arms. When Harry's eyes landed on Hermione, she couldn't hold back the giggle that came from her lips when she noticed his expression. She stood up to give Harry a hug and then turned to Ginny and gave her a hug as well, making sure not to hurt the small child in her arms.

"Hermione, where in the world have you been?" She heard Ginny ask, her own expression matching Harry's of sheer confusion and happiness. "We've missed you so much." Hermione found herself being pulled into a hug once more before Ginny pulled away and pulled back the veil that hid the child from view. "Hermione, this is Lily." She said softly. Hermione nodded and let her index finger softly brush the cheek of the child.

"How old?" Hermione asked quietly.

"She just turned three months." She heard Harry say. Hermione turned around to see him sitting next to Arthur. She looked into his eyes and watched as he stared at her, his eyes piercing her, wanting information. "Where have you been?" He asked her. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek and looked around the room. She knew everyone in the room wanted to know the answers to their questions. Answers only she could give. Closing her eyes, she willed on the courage from the schooldays she possessed and found that it failed.

"Mommy…?" Hermione turned around to see her son slowly walking into the kitchen. As he reached her legs, Hermione picked him up and hugged him to her chest. She placed a kiss to his cheek and looked around as she felt four pairs of eyes on her. She could feel the warmth of the tears that came from her son as he said something about a bad dream. Instantly, she fell into mother-mode towards her son and sat down in the seat she had originally sat in before Ginny and Harry came in. Liam had been experiencing night terrors for a few weeks and Hermione had always heard him come into her room around four in the morning and crawl into her bed. She shushed the little boy as she bounced him in her lap.

Again, she felt the four pairs of eyes watching her as she took care of her son. When she finally got him to fall back asleep, Hermione smiled weakly at the four adults in the room. "I have a lot to explain, I know that." She stated and looked down at her baby asleep in her arms. "But I want to wait until I have everyone here so that I don't have to explain myself more than once." She brought her eyes back up and looked anywhere except the four burning eyes. "Lord knows I'm going to have to explain it a few more times." She said quietly to herself. When an awkward silence overcame the house, Hermione took it as her chance to get up to put Liam back in the living room. Sitting down on the couch, she watched as one child slept in her arms and her other one on the couch. They both looked peaceful and at ease. She hoped they wouldn't ask where they were. She was surprised Liam had even found where his mother was what with not ever being in the house itself.

"Hermione... who are they?" She heard Harry's voice from next to her. She looked up to see him staring down at the children. "Whose are they?" He asked as he came to sit down on the couch, moving Evie's head so that she used his leg as a pillow. Hermione couldn't meet his gaze. She wasn't sure what she wanted to tell him. Opening her mouth, she quickly closed it, wanting to explain everything, yet at the same time, not wanting to tell him anything. She went to open her mouth again to try and say something – anything – but found it difficult. Nothing would come out. A sigh slipped from Hermione. This wasn't how she wanted people to find out about the twins. This wasn't how she wanted the twins to find out their were magical. Seeming to understand her dilemma, Harry just nodded, gently lifted the little girl's head and placed it back down on a pillow to let her keep sleeping. "When you're ready, then," was all he said before walking back into the kitchen.

Hermione couldn't help the tears that found their way down her cheeks. She didn't want to expose the children to magic this way; she didn't want the only people she considered her magical family to find out how the twins came to be; Hermione was confused and scared for the twins' sakes. She began to think as she watched her two children sleep peacefully. Molly had told her that everyone was going to be there tonight for the family get-together every week. This brought a smile to Hermione's lips as she slipped Liam back down to rest. Popping her head into the kitchen, she asked if she could take a nap in Ginny's old room to get her bearings together for the explanation that was to come tonight. With an approving nod from Molly, Hermione made her way up the familiar staircase and into the room she had shared countless times with one of her childhood best friends. Climbing into the bed, Hermione thought about the speech she was going to give later that evening before falling into a deep sleep.

A sharp knock came to the door that roused Hermione out of her dream. She looked out the window across the room to see that it had fallen to midday with the sun shining brightly into the room. From the inside, it didn't look like an autumn day in England, but a nice summer day back in Florida. Hermione knew that it wouldn't feel like that if she were to step outside. Another knock came to the door and Hermione looked at it, as if expecting someone to come in. When nothing happened, she quickly rose from the bed and took out the luggage she had packed her the twins and herself. Bringing them back to their regular size, Hermione opened up her own suitcase and grabbed a hairbrush to comb through her hair before she opened the door to find the perpetrator still standing in front of her. Looking up, she saw George standing there, a large grin on his face.

"I was beginning to think you were dead in there." He joked. A smile came to Hermione's face as she wrapped her arms around the older male and pulled him into a hug. "I missed you, Hermione." He told her. She nodded, before pulling out of the hug and began to walk down the stairs with him. What awaited her was a room full of Weasleys. She watched as George went to go sit next to a woman who looked a lot like Angelina from back in school. A small child was sitting on her lap, red hair wildly flaring every which way.

She looked around the room to find Arthur, Molly, Ginny, Harry, all faces she knew and grew up with save for a new fresh ones. But one was missing. Any excuse to not tell them about what happened was a welcomed distraction. "Where's Ron?" She asked them. She watched as everyone looked at each other before looking at her. That was not a good sign. Her mind quickly turned to the worst as she thought about why he couldn't be there.

"Oh. Ron's just in the Bahamas with Luna." Harry said.

Picking up Liam, she sat down and placed a kiss to the back of his head, trying to procrastinate from having to explain the existence of William and Evangeline. She heard Liam call out to her and swat at her lightly before giving up. Hermione looked around the room and looked at each awaiting gaze that stared at her. She felt an arm go to her shoulder and looked up to see Molly smiling at her, trying to help ease the tension that seemed to escalate since she stepped into the room. "Hey everyone..." She started, unsure of what she should say. She looked down and brushed a loose tendril of hair from Liam's face and thought about what she could say next. When she had thought about what she wanted to tell everyone before she took her nap, Hermione forgot to take into consideration how difficult it would still be for her.

Looking back up into the expectant eyes, she gave a weak smile and a heavy sigh, Hermione pulled Liam closer to her and slowly began. "In our seventh year, I made a few mistakes in my life," she sighed. "It was a few weeks before the end of term. A rough crowd came around and cornered me." She tried her hardest to keep her voice even. She could feel Harry's eyes on her especially and when she looked back up, she noticed that he was looking at her. "It wasn't my fault... it wasn't my plan to run off and go on my own."

She could feel the hot tears slowly burn their way into her eyes. With a deep breath in and out, Hermione tried to finish her explanation. She could still feel Harry's piercing gaze as he waited for her to continue. But, she just couldn't. How was she supposed to tell them what happened to her if she could barely convince herself it even happened? She sighed. When she opened her eyes once again, her world was blurry. She could see Liam looking worrisome at his mother and quickly hugged her. She returned the hug, proud at her baby. He may not understand what was going on, but he knew his Mommy was sad. Hermione could feel Molly's grip tighten on her shoulder, trying to comfort her more without interrupting the mother and son connection in front of her. She closed her eyes again as a tear fell from her eye and onto her cheeks and could feel Evie trying to get onto her lap as well. Hermione pulled Liam to one side so that Evie could hold her mother as well. The room was silent, everyone waiting for her to explain.

"Mommy, don't cry. Me and Evie are here." Hermione smiled through her tears and placed a kiss on her son's forehead. "Don't be sad, Mommy." Hermione nodded, trying to take her son's advice and wiped away the tears. Looking up, she saw everyone talking except for Harry and George. They were looking at her with the twins. They looked to be trying to comprehend the situation they were now in. Their best friend returned with two children and with a story of sheer horror.

Molly suddenly broke up the chatter with a loud whistling sound. "I think it might be time for dinner. Ginny, dear, will you help me set the table while everyone else washes up?" Hermione watched as Ginny nodded and walked towards the kitchen. Stopping at Hermione, she pulled the brunette into a hug. She hugged the girl back before she watched as Ginny finished walking towards the kitchen to help her mother. The rest of the group dispersed to wash up save for Harry, George, Hermione, and the twins.

Both men walked over to Hermione and trapped her in the middle as they sat down on either side of her. "Hermione, whose are they?" She heard Harry ask again. He had pressed her for the answer earlier and still, she wasn't sure if she could tell them. "Who hurt you?" He asked, his voice stern and devoid any humor. Hermione pulled her legs up so that they went to her chest. "Hermione. Does this have anything to do with the night when you gave that message to McGonnagall and me?" She tried to nod her head – tried to force it – but nothing happened. She just couldn't bring herself to do it, to say anything. Harry looked over Hermione's head to look at George. She knew they were still trying to figure it out.

Dinner went by uneventful – save for the fact that Hermione tried to explain to Evangeline and William that they were special children, with another failed attempt of course – and Hermione then had to will the children to leave to meet two more people. Hermione's parents. She wasn't sure how, but Hermione found herself and the twins in front of her parents' house. Hermione took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She waited and gave a weak smile when her father opened the door. He looked at her dully for a moment before it seemed to snap in his brain that his daughter was standing in front of him and quickly rushed to pull his only child into a hug. "Hermione. Oh god, Jane, Hermione's home." Her father called to her mother. He whisked her into the house with the twins in tow. Hermione watched as her mother came from the kitchen to see what all the fuss was that her husband was causing. She dropped the spoon she had been cleaning as she looked at her daughter. "Jane, she's back home and safe." Hermione's father said again, hugging his child again.

Pulling from her father's grip, Hermione went over to where her mother stood. "Mum..." she said carefully, rather afraid to the reprimanding she could possibly get. When she was younger, Hermione was close with her parents. They did everything together from siting at the dinner table to play board games to going to see a movie or a museum. It wasn't until she had started Hogwarts did things start to become rattled.

After her first year, she had come home to tell her parents everything she had learned. They both tried to keep up with their only child's enthusiasm over her new school and new found magical powers. It was when they started to fall away from each other. All the new terms had swirled around their heads as Hermione would try and explain everything. It wasn't until the mentioning of two new friends did Jane and David show any interest. Their daughter had had such difficulties making friends before school when she was in primary school. Most of the children had teased her for always wanting to go to the library and check out a new book.

From there on out, Hermione had found it hard to connect with her parents. Sure, they still had regulated outings when she was on holiday for Christmas or the summer, but the letters to and from her parents shifted from one every week in her first year to one maybe every three months once she hit her seventh year.

Hermione brought her attention back to where her mother stood. Jane still had yet to say anything to her so Hermione decided to continue. "Hello Mum." Hermione said again, trying to get her mother's attention. It wasn't until her mother pulled her into a hug that she knew everything might just be somewhat alright. "I'm home Mum... with my twins." Suddenly her mother pulled away from Hermione to look at the two four-year-old children standing behind Hermione's father. Hermione watched as her mother went over and inspected the children.

When she was finished, Jane turned back to her daughter. "This is why you left us?" She asked, pointing at the twins. "This is why you left your father and me with a note, telling us that you're sorry?" Hermione just frowned and kneeled to motion for her children to walk over to her. Picking up Evie, Hermione just nodded, making sure to grab Liam's hand. "Wonderful." It was sarcastic; it was dry and Hermione knew her mother was not happy with her.

The night was still fresh in her memory.

_Hermione walked up to her house. It seemed distant. Jiggling the handle, she found it was locked. Frowning, she stood on her tip toes and reached high above the door for the little slot where her parents left an extra key. Opening the door and closing it quickly, she placed all her luggage down as well as the crate Crookshanks was occupying. Opening the gate to it, he bolted out and up the few stairs to the second level and into Hermione's opened bedroom door. "Mum? Dad?" She called out. She didn't expect anyone to respond, but thought it best to make absolutely positive that she was alone._

_She couldn't explain how, but on the ride on the train back into London, Hermione had decided she would leave. Staying here would only cause trouble. She had no clue how her parents would respond to their daughter pregnant. A shiver ran down her spine as she stepped into the kitchen. Despite the warm weather, it was chilly. She looked around. Everything seemed to be in place; not an item was out of order. Moving to the refrigerator, Hermione spotted a note. _"Hermione, your father and I had another convention to go to. We'll be back later tonight around four. Love, Mum and Dad."_ The date on the top had been posted of the day before. They knew she was coming home today and not yesterday. Shrugging it off, she just assumed that her mother meant they would be back today. Looking at the clock on the wall, Hermione's eyes went wide. She had forty-five minutes to pack what she needed if she was going to leave before her parents could stop her._

_Once she retrieved everything that wasn't already packed, Hermione shrunk most of the luggage she had, leaving only a shoulder bag for her to carry. Grabbing the note off the fridge her parents left, Hermione scribbled a note to them underneath. _"Mum and Dad, I apologize for leaving on such short notice. I wish I didn't have to leave home so abruptly, but there are a few things that I need to take care of before I speak to either of you. Neither Harry nor Ron know I am leaving. I'll try to write. I love you both so much and will explain as soon as I feel it is necessary. Love always, Hermione." _She then took a small plastic cup from the dish rack and took out her want. Softly, she muttered "Portus" as she thought of a small town she had looked at when just researching one day. She activated the portkey and soon found herself in a small town in Florida, United States._

Hermione watched as her father walked over to her mother. He grabbed her shoulder to keep her from ripping Hermione's head off with her words. "Isn't it great that she's home, dear?" She gave a frail smile at her father's attempts at helping the situation. The only problem was that it helped very little. "Our little girl is back with two adorable children. What are their names, Hermione?" Hermione watched as her mother fumed, obviously hating her father's attempts to control the situation. It took her a minute to register that her father had asked for the twins' names when she heard him ask her again. "Hermione, your mother and I would love to know their names."

Hermione nodded and placed Evie on the ground. Kneeling down with them, she placed a kiss on each of their cheeks. "Mum, Dad, this is Evangeline Hollie..." she placed another kiss to Evie's cheek, "and William James." Hermione gave her son another kiss as well and looked up at her parents. She immediately stood up. "I thought it would be nice if I named them after my grandmothers and grandfathers." She said quickly. Her eyes fell to the ground when she felt her mother's gaze on her. " You know... to... keep their... memories... alive." she said quietly and slowly, her voice growing softer with each syllable.

Finally, after a rather long, pregnant silence, Hermione heard her mother say something. "They are beautiful, Hermione." The voice sounded sad, hurt. She dared not look at her mother, knowing the face she would be greeted with was to be one none too happy - one that matched her voice. "I just wished you told us." She felt her mother's presence grow closer as she knelt down and brushed a finger along Liam's cheek. "Hello there, precious." Hermione briefed a smile and looked down to see a smile on her mother's face. Her mother looked up and smiled brightly at her daughter. "I want to get to know them, Hermione. I want to spend time with my grandchildren." Hermione looked at her father who smiled back at his only child. "David, aren't they sweet?" She heard her father laugh and agree with her mother. Hermione placed Evie on the ground so that she could stand on her own. The kids weighed nearly three stones each and after a while of holding one, her back started to ache.

A thought came to Hermione and she smiled. "Mum, I'm spending the night with the twins at Molly and Arthur Weasley's house, but there is something I need to take care of in the days coming. I would love it if you could watch them." Jane looked up at her daughter and nodded, agreeing that she would love to watch them for Hermione. "We can stay for a few hours, but then I need to get them back to the Burrow so that they can get to sleep." Jane nodded once again and went to pick up Evie who gave a bit of fuss before Hermione told the child that it was alright and that these were her and Liam's grandparents. She watched as her father came and picked up Liam who quickly warmed up to the man he could now call Papa.

Going into the kitchen, Hermione sat at the breakfast table she had eaten at so many times with her parents. Sitting across from her mother and next to her father, she watched as her children interacted with their grandparents and was happy with the results of the evening. _Tomorrow, I need to get a hold of Severus Snape and tell him... easier said than done..._ Hermione thought sourly. Knowing he was still at school, she would have to get in contact with Draco to help her out – knowing that if she went to George and Harry they would become suspicious. Deciding she would write Draco later that night, Hermione spent the rest of the evening with her parents and children, talking amongst each other and catching up. A few times, her parents had asked who the father of the twins was, but like she had done Harry, she eluded the question, saving the answer for a later date.

**Coming Soon:** Get ready for arguments galore.

**Author's Notes:** Well, here it is, the third installment into a working piece. I'm not proud of this chapter mainly because I had deleted it completely at least four times (I had a lot of time the other night when I was with my boyfriend at his friend's house for a Congratulatory party before his friend shoves off for college) and suddenly just decided that this would have to do. I went to my brother and asked him to review it for me and he claimed that I remained in character and hopefully I did. Now, I'm still debating on whether or not I should change the title of the story. I hadn't really had a title at the time so I just named it this. Any opinions or suggestions on renames? Anyways, I do hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead (I know I'm not... _). **The only thing that belongs to me is Evie and Liam, everything else belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I also want to send out a warm and thankful shout out to my new beta DBShaw.  
**

_Chapter Title Courtesy of Herman Melville_


	4. Arguing With a Fool Proves There Are Two

Chapter Four: Arguing With a Fool Proves There are Two

Hermione made sure that she was at her parents' house bright and early to drop off the kids. When she had gotten back to the Weasley's house and put the twins to bed; Hermione had spent more than an hour trying to write out a decent message to Draco, asking him to take her back to Hogwarts to speak with Snape. After sending the Weasley family owl, she got a reply back telling her to meet him in Diagon Alley. With a swift knock to her door, Hermione waited barely a minute before her mother opened the door. With a large smile growing on her lips, Jane pulled her daughter into a fierce hug and placed a kiss on her cheek. When Hermione wiggled herself from her mother's grasp, she turned to let the children walk into the house. Hermione knelt to their level and looked into their tired gazes. "Mummy has some things she needs to do today. You both are going to stay here with your grandmother and grandfather, okay?" When each child nodded in turn, Hermione smiled softly and placed a kiss softly to their foreheads. Standing up, she looked at her mother. "They'll probably just fall back asleep. They're still trying to get used to the raging time change." She told her mother before placing a kiss to her cheek and waved back at her children. Closing the door, she heard the remnants of her mother asking the twins if they wanted breakfast. She slipped to the side house where no one would see her and Apparated closer to the Leaky Cauldron so that she could get her way into the wizarding part of London.

The note hadn't told her where exactly to meet him, but Hermione made her way over to a small cafe and sat down outside so that she could spot Draco if she needed to. Ordering a cup tea, she sipped at the liquid and watched for the trademark platinum blonde hair of her old friend. She had to admit, she was still upset about the night they last spoke civilly before leaving school when he just pushed her away. She hadn't been expecting it and still felt hurt at times. Thinking about that evening, her heart ached for the ruination of her relationship with Draco the way he was unexpected and cruel. She was pulled from her daydream when she felt a tapping to her shoulder. Looking up, she offered him a seat and took another sip at her tea. "I wasn't sure where you wanted me to meet you." She told him quietly. With his sparkling grey eyes and his charming smile. Hermione's eyes misted over as she thought of him, she missed that sweet smile of his, so different from his cocky smirks, she glowed with happiness when she was around him, even after these four years she knew that he still meant so much to her.

She watched as Draco sat beside her and ordered a black coffee, flirting innocently with the fresh faced red head serving their table he allowed his startling eyes scrutinize the woman she had become. It wasn't until the young waitress went away that he spoke.

"I realized I had forgotten that information after I had replied to you." He told her, taking one of the bisquites that sat next to her tea and took a bite. He waited till he finished chewing before he continued. "I must tell you," he continued, "if you want to see Severus, you may need to wait a bit." The sweet waitress, _probably a Hufflepuff_, Hermione thought, came back with a warm smile and a pot of the black caffeine. He nodded to her, giving her one of his smirks and then turned his gaze back to Hermione. "He hasn't been the same since the war. None of us have..." He stopped abruptly as if not wanting to talk more on that subject. "He's shut himself off from as much of the outside world as he can." Hermione just nodded, unsure of what to make of the conversation. Picking up a bisquite, she bit into it, letting crumbs fall into her tea. "I don't know if my father told him about your little outburst in our common room that night," Hermione could only nod before finishing off the sweet treat. Draco took a large swig of the coffee before placing it back down. "He may know about the children, and just not care or he might be completely in the dark."

The two sat in silence until they finished their drinks. A slight awkwardness surrounded the two of them as Hermione thought about the father of her children, and hoping that he would react calmly and rationally to the news of his fatherhood. Soon, Draco stood up, pulling out a few coins that would pay for both of their drinks, and helped her out of her own chair. She tried to tell him that she could pay for herself-after all, she was a grown woman with two kids of her own, she had money-but he just took her by the hand and strolled down the alley, towards Flourish and Blotts. He made his way to the space between the book shop and Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and Apparated them to Hogsmeade.

Hermione sputtered before she finally found her voice. "I could have just apparated here myself." He gave her a cheeky grin and held out his hand for her to lead him. As she began walking towards the castle, Hermione couldn't help but look at it in awe. It had been so long since she had seen the glorious building in all its stature. The gates opened up and Draco then took lead, bringing her to one of the magically drawn carriages and helped her in. When the carriage began moving, Hermione closed her eyes, feeling like she were back in school with Harry and Ron, on their way to the grand feast.

"Does McGonagall know I'm on my way?" She asked him. When he shook his head, she frowned. She didn't want to just randomly show up unannounced in the castle. Deciding she would see her old Head of House first, Hermione waited till the ride was over and was helped out by Draco. Thanking him, she looked up at the castle. It was larger than she seemed to remember and closed her eyes to take in the smell she had always associated with the castle at autumn, that crisp smell of cold air, and the slightly mouldy leaves.

Walking up the stairs, Hermione opened the door and found very few students out. _Lessons._ She reminded herself. Going to the old Headmaster's office, she went to go knock on the door. She heard her old professor call for her to step in and seemed to be expecting a certain student when she called out a surname Hermione didn't recognize. When the older woman turned around, she seemed to have to clean her glasses to make sure it were in fact Hermione Granger she saw in front of her. "Ms. Granger?" The elder woman questioned her and Hermione just nodded. A smile broke out on McGonagall's face as she walked over to Hermione and pulled the girl into a hug. "We all worried where you were when you weren't here to help with the war." Hermione just frowned and nodded, slipping out an apology. "Oh, no worries now, my dear. Just glad you are safe." Pulling away from the hug, Hermione watched as her old professor went back to her seat. "So then, was there any reason you came here?"

Hermione nodded. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell McGonagall exactly why she was there, but decided against it and thought of a vague reason. "There was someone I needed to see." She stated quietly. "I need to speak with him about something that happened years ago." Hermione stopped, not wanting to blurt out her exact reasons for her visit. "But, I did decide that it would be nice to come and see you first." The old woman nodded genuinely happy that Hermione stopped by. Another knock came to the door and it opened to reveal a tall, lanky girl with deep brown eyes and black hair. It had been the girl McGonagall had been expecting earlier. Saying her goodbyes, Hermione gave one last hug to her old Head of House and walked out to find Draco standing out in the hall waiting for her as he had a conversation with one of the portraits. Hermione tapped him gently on the shoulder and he turned to smirk at her, "ready?" She asked him.

With a nod, he said his goodbyes to the portrait and walked with Hermione down to the dungeons. Draco suggested that she knock on Snape's office before barging into Snape's classroom. Nodding, Hermione did as he had advocated and knocked on the door. When she heard a 'come in', Hermione looked at Draco who nudged her closer to the door and began to walk off, leaving her alone with Snape.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Hermione just stared at the door. Images from the night flashed in her mind as she willed her heart to stop from pounding. _"What's the matter mudblood; is he being too rough?" And a sinister cackle erupted from the man next to her._ She tried to shake the dread that was seeping in. What if he didn't want to see her? What if he just blew her off, regretting that he let her live? _No, Severus Snape may be a lot of things, but he wasn't that cruel… right?_ Hermione sighed and looked back at Draco. He gave her a hand gesture that told her to just go in. With another deep breath, she calmed herself down before opening the door and stepping in.

"Close that door and get over here Flint." He spoke harshly, obviously expecting a student. When he didn't hear any footsteps, he looked up to call the boy to his desk before he stopped dead in his tracks. "Ms. Granger?" He questioned. She nodded and began to walk toward his desk. "Stay right there." He spoke, his harsh voice giving no warmth. She stopped and looked at him. He stood up and held his hand out to a chair that looked quite uncomfortable. "Sit." He told her. Moving to the chair he offered, she sat down and felt herself move ever so slightly attempting to find comfort. "What are you doing here? Surely like the rest of your classmates, you would want to leave as quickly as possible, just like you did after your NEWTs." She nodded and looked down, afraid to start the conversation and steer it into the direction of the twins. The quill he was grading with stopped and he glared up at her. "Cat got your tongue, Ms. Granger? Or did you just come here to waste my time?" Staring back, she gaped at him and his treatment of her.

Seeming to find her voice, Hermione sat up in her chair and spoke. "I want to talk to you about the night Lucius Malfoy kidnapped me." She told him. He looked uninterestedly and went back to grading. "I want answers to my questions." She continued. When he seemed to just sit there ignoring her, Hermione lost the calm and collected facade she had gathered up and glared at him as she stood up from her chair. "I want to know why you hurt me. I want to know why you never bothered apologizing to me, did you think that it was acceptable? That because you were playing at being a spy it meant you could force yourself on your students. I want to know why you aren't ashamed of yourself. Most of all, I want to know why you treat me like I'm one of your first years when I've had to leave my two children at my mother's house to ask you about this."

"Miss Granger, perhaps you should discuss the proper care arrangements of your children their father." He told her calmly as he brought his eyes up to hers. Hermione stared at him, trying to figure him out. When he didn't look like he was going to say much else, she began to speak.

"Then, _Severus_, why do you think I am here? Since they surely have to be yours." He looked up at her slightly shocked but let it fade back into disinterest. She smiled; glad she had gotten a reaction out of him. When she saw his lips beginning to curl into a sentence, Hermione quickly thought on her feet, realizing that he was going to ask how she knew they were his. "I have not been romantically involved with anyone." She stated. "And I found out I was pregnant weeks after Lucius Malfoy kidnapped me to relay Voldemort's message to Harry. Madame Pomfrey told me herself that I was pregnant." While his face showed no reaction, she could see in his eyes that he was worried if only slightly. "Now, again I ask, why is it that I have two children waiting for me at my parents' house?"

Snape looked like he was battling internal conflicts within himself. Hermione was glad she had gotten a reaction out of him; however the response he was to give her was one she wasn't expecting. "And so you come to me, hoping I would have your answers?" He closed the distance between himself and Hermione. When he had her against the wall, she noticed how he towered over her small stature.

"And what makes you think that I will have those answers for you Ms. Granger? Are you trying to tell me that you believe me to be the father of your bastard children?" Anger rose in Hermione at his clear refusal to admit what he had done to her. "I can assure you Ms. Granger, I have no interest in dealing with your problems." Walking away from her, Snape went back to his desk and sat down. "If you are done accusing me of acts I have not committed, then you may leave. I am expecting a student for his morning detention."

Resentment took over her body, pouring confidence into her limbs, as she made her way back to his desk, she placed her hands over the essay he was marking and pulled out some of the Gryffindor courage that still remained within her. When Snape looked into her eyes, he was met with a glare that could kill a man. "Listen here. My children are in fact yours. Remember that night, _Professor_?" She asked him. "The night Malfoy kidnapped me. The night you raped me." She looked into his eyes. "The night that you took away everything from me. My innocence, my dignity, my freedom. Instead, I had to become a mother at nineteen and watch over two children. I love those kids with all my heart, but I shouldn't have been a mother just yet. Not then, and not now." She watched as his conflict began once again. "You took _everything_." She told him. She pulled her hands from his unmarked essays and leaned back to look at him, her arms crossed across her chest. "Now then, I still want my answers. Why do I have a little girl and a little boy waiting for their _mother_ to come back to them?" Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Ever since they learned to speak, they've asked me why they don't have a Daddy like all the other kids." She continued, hoping to break the man in front of her. "Every night when I put my little girl to bed, she questions where her father is. And every night, I tell her Daddy didn't love Mummy. Daddy didn't give a shit about Mummy's feelings."

Suddenly, Snape stood, stopping her tirade. "That is enough Ms. Granger. I will not tolerate that language, no matter how old you are." He glared back at her. "And as for those children of yours, they are not my problem." He looked at her, their eyes fighting with one another. "Those answers you are looking for cannot be found here." He told her. Hermione was livid and looked to be on the brink of breaking down into tears and throttling the man who gave her the two most precious things in her life. _Why can't he just take responsibility? I had to... and did._ Hermione thought and continued her staring contest with Snape.

When it looked like Snape had nothing else to say to her, she pulled her eyes away from his and sat down. She wasn't sure what else she wanted to say to him. A knock came to the door and Hermione looked at Snape. She knew it was the student who was coming in for his morning detention. She listened as he told the student to come in and began speaking with him about this evening for detention. When the student – Flint, Snape had said – began arguing with him, Snape bellowed that he didn't care about the Slytherin Quidditch Team needing their "star player" when he had disrupted the class quite a few times. The male looked at his Head of House wide-eyed and quickly gave an apology and said he would take his detention later that night. All through the conversation, Hermione thought about what she wanted to tell Snape next. She was tired of him avoiding her questions and needed answers now. When the student left, Hermione brought her gaze back to Snape. "I want those answers. And I know you can give them to me. It's the least you could do after the traumatic experience you put me through." Her old professor looked nonplussed when she spoke to him. He almost looked bored with her. "Now, I'm not leaving until I get those answers." She told him. She didn't care what lessons he had that day, she was going to get what she came here for.

With a long, drawn out sigh, Snape sat back down in his chair and put the rest of the ungraded essays to the side of his desk while he folded his hands, interlacing the fingers. "You want your answers, Ms. Granger? Then fine, if it means you'll leave me to my business, then I'll humor you." Hermione sat still in her seat as she waited. "Your question as to why you were kidnapped and what you were put through," he looked as if he really had to think on the answer. "The reason you had the experience you did was because Voldemort didn't believe I was a trustworthy advocate for what he needed to get done. So he put me to a test. Ms. Granger, if I had refused, he would have killed both of us. Regardless of the message he wanted Potter to have." She sat there, nodding when she could and continued to listen to the explanation he had to offer. "I think it is pretty obvious why you are a mother, Ms. Granger. There was no protection involved and to my dismay, Lucius had informed me that I wasn't to use any spells that would otherwise make your position more comfortable." Hermione looked away, ashamed of what she had told him. "As for your children, you have been telling them lies." This made Hermione look up, slightly confused. "If I did not care about your feelings, would you be standing here in front of me today?" He waited for an answer he knew he wouldn't receive before he continued. "No, you wouldn't be. Your friends and family would be mourning their loss."

Hermione couldn't help the tear that strayed away from the rest and slipped down her cheek. She hadn't realized the consequences of what would have happened if he had disregarded his orders. Hermione looked at him, trying to understand what he must have been going through these past five years. Things were still fuzzy for her, but she was starting to realize all of the things he had to go through to keep her safe.

"Miss Granger, I need you to understand. I had been ordered to go where Lucius had taken you. I wasn't told anything other than that Voldemort had another mission for me. I hadn't been in his good graces lately." He stopped and took in a shallow breath before continuing. "Many of the raids and missions I had set up had been failing because I needed to make sure that the Order was ready for every attack. And he it took out on me by torturing and breaking me."

"Why didn't you apologize to me? Or go to McGonagall? Tell her what happened?"

"I may be excellent at Legilimency and Occlumency, but after being put under the Cruciatus Curse for a couple hours, one's mind starts to weaken. If he had known I went to the Professor, or even spoke to you, it would be my head. The Order needed my high ranking power with the Dark Lord to gain information so Potter could defeat him once and for all." Snape just looked at Hermione as she fidgeted. "When I saw you there being held by Lucius, my stomach dropped. I didn't need to be told what to do when I saw you there."

"But what about after the war? I know you couldn't have told me, since I was already long gone, but did you even tell Professor McGonagall?"

Severus froze for a minute. He had tried his hardest to explain to Minerva what he had done. Every attempt was a failed one. She still didn't even know the whole story. "I tried." His voice was strained. He was losing his edge as she pressed for information. "That night was hard on the both of us… and I do apologize now for what I was told to do." He stopped, looking defeated. "Just understand that I did what I did to save your life. To make sure you lived a long life with someone who made you happy."

When she tried to talk, she found her voice hoarse and had to clear it a few times before enough fluid coated her inner mouth. She had finally gotten the answers she had been questing for since she went through the ordeal, well as many she was going to get. "I had no idea…" She said quietly before she looked at an empty portrait that hung on his wall. A deep sigh came and went from her as she returned his stare once more. "Listen, I didn't come here to argue with you, but to get the answers I've been trying to seek out since that night." She stopped and thought about her next reply. "I was also hoping we could grab lunch together in Hogsmeade." As soon as she said it, she regretted it when the expression on his face turned dark. "I don't mean anything wrong by it, I just would like it if we could sit down and really talk about that night."

Snape held up a hand that stopped her. "I do not wish to speak any more of this, Ms. Granger." He told her. "I would like it if we could go back to our own ends of the world and be content there." He brought the essays back towards him and began to write again. Hermione stared at him. Shaking her head, she stood up ready to leave. It was only until he spoke up again that she stopped. He took a breath in, only to let it out seconds later. "So I'm a father..." it wasn't a question and it wasn't really a statement, more of just a fact that needed to be said. Hermione watched him carefully, trying to read the expressions that were flitting across his face as he stared at her. There seemed to be a question that was bothering him as he tried to put it into words. He looked away from Hermione and back to the essays that lay forgotten. "Could I meet them?" He asked her. His voice was different than she was used to; it didn't have the edge of sarcasm that he was known for. It almost sounded sensitive and hopeful. Hermione stood there, unsure of whether or not her voice would work at that moment as she watched him.

She nodded her head, unsure if he would really hear the yes that came from her. She cleared her throat once again. "I'm sure the twins would love it if they could meet their father." She told him, a small smile forming on her lips as she closed her eyes to take in a breath. "We could meet at the Three Broomsticks for lunch and then later that evening, you could meet them. Does Saturday sound alright?" Her eyes followed him as Snape nodded and stood to shake her hand. She shook his proffered extremity and moved to turn back towards the door. Snape opened the door for her to see Draco leaning against the wall to the far left.

He gave a slight nod when he saw Snape and moved away to walk towards them. "Afternoon, Severus." He said to his Godfather. Snape gave a nod and looked at both of his younger students. "Are you ready to go?" He asked, turning to face Hermione. When she gave an approved nod, he grinned with appreciation. Saying their goodbyes, Draco led Hermione back up the steps from the dungeons and walked her over to the door. They made their way down the pathway that led to the large gate and quietly slipped out. While walking in Hogsmeade, they passed the small tavern that belonged to Madame Rosmerta and decided to go in and have a bite to eat. Grabbing a table in the back, they both ordered a cup of hot tea and a sandwich before they began talking. It was small talk about what had been happening since Hermione had left, but soon it changed towards her twins. "What are they like?" He asked her.

"Well," she started, trying to think of Evie and Liam, "Evangeline is bright for only four years old. She loves playing 'Mummy'. Liam is usually the Daddy and they use one of her baby dolls. It's kind of cute, actually. Liam is more interpersonal. He likes being with his Mum; he's usually glued to my leg most of the day. Evie is outgoing. Very outgoing… and they both tend to get in trouble… a lot." She looked at a corner into the little tavern and thought about the kids who were waiting at her mother and father's house.

_"Evangeline, stop that! Liam is afraid of heights, you know that." Hermione screamed at the little girl who was urging her brother to climb into the treehouse that had been built a long while ago. Liam's eyes were bugged out of his little skull as his twin pushed him higher onto the house. Hermione could see the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Evie, I said stop." Evangeline looked to her mother with sorrowful eyes, trying to make up some excuse about Liam wanting to be up in the tree and he was trying to chicken out. "I don't care." Hermione walked over to Liam and Evie and held her arms out for her son. "C'mere baby." She said to him. The little child climbed to his mother, big, fat tears slipping down his pale cheeks. Hermione began shushing the small boy while she carefully pulled her daughter from the treehouse and told her to go to her room._

That was one of the first nights Hermione had learned to keep an eye on the twins when they were playing together. Somehow Evangeline always found a way around her mother's rules and get William to do something that was not allowed; thus getting the poor boy in trouble. Still, William was four now and should have at least become perceptive to his sister's antics. "They reminded me a lot of Severus when I saw them." Draco interrupted her thoughts. "Evie holds her head high and walks with confidence." Hermione just nodded to his observation. She had noticed that as well. William was more like her in so many ways. Always wanting to be with his mother, crying for her when she was away.

"I don't know what else to tell you," she said her smile widening at the thought of her babies. "Evie is my little daredevil, always sticking her nose into the most dangerous things. When she was about six months old, I turned my back on her to pick up Liam, and the next thing I know, there's my little girl climbing up on the coffee table, pulling at a decorative glass bowl to help her up. Thankfully, I was able to get her before she fell over and the glass crashed all around her."

Draco watched Hermione's eyes light up as she spoke about her children. "Liam sounds a lot like Severus, and Evie reminds me of the way you were at Hogwarts, always looking for danger everywhere you went."

"That wasn't me, and you know it. I was the level-headed one, Harry and Ron were the one's looking for danger, and I went along to keep an eye on them." She argued. Their relationship hadn't changed at all, the comfort of being in Draco's presence really helped her open up about her life.

"Why did you just run off after school?" Draco's concern for her returned. "I never was able to explain what happened in the Common Room, the next morning you were gone, and I couldn't find you on the train. I tried to owl you, but every time I did, it came back with my letter, unopened."

"I didn't want to see anyone on the train, let alone you. As soon as I found an empty compartment, I locked myself in there and cried. As soon as we reached the platform, I had decided what I would have to do, and immediately apparated into my parent's living room, packed my belongings and left. No one knew where I had gone, and I wasn't so far along in my pregnancy that you could tell I was pregnant, so I found a place to live, got myself a job waiting tables in a Muggle restaurant in America and started saving my money." Hermione looked into Draco's eyes. "A few months later, I had the twins, and a year after that, I went to University, while Charlotte the woman I lived with watched the kids. I finished in two years and received my degree in early childhood education. Soon I started teaching at a nursery, where Evie and Liam went for free and now I'm here. Debating whether or not I should go back to America or just stay here with the kids."

"Why would you want to go back there? When everyone here wants to take care of you?" Draco was angered at the thought of Hermione leaving so soon after she reentered his life.

"You have no idea what it's like, to have to go through something like that on your own. I have two _children _Draco, real living, breathing children, who rely on me for everything. And it has been this way for four years. I had no one to take care of me before, how do you think that felt, having to have a baby all by myself to have to tell the nurse, _no, there is no father, it's just me_ I had no hand to hold or someone to rub my back I had to scream into an empty room during labor. I was all alone. The mothers at nursery pity me; they look at me and see some unfortunate trollop who let herself ruin her life. They have no idea that I had no choice in the matter."

"More of a reason to stay, in my opinion." Draco shifted forward in his seat, looking into her caramel eyes and grasped her hand.

"You don't get it, I'm a stronger person for having been alone, I'm able to accomplish more than most women, going through something like that without resorting to selling myself." She leaned away from him, tearing her hand from his, and turning her eyes from his. "I understand your concern Draco, but I am a grown woman, and I can make this decision by myself."

Hermione took a sip of her drink when she heard Draco stand up. Looking at him, she was about to question where he was going before he answered it: "I need to get back to the ministry. I told them I needed half of the day off so I could bring a friend to see someone." She just nodded and took another sip of her drink. He threw down some change for his own drink and left out the door, leaving Hermione to her own thoughts.

**Coming Soon:** Up next... a meeting with Daddy and a CIVIL SNAPE?

**Author's Notes: **Sorry I haven't been updating. Life got in the way as well as did writer's block. It's not as good as my last chapter, but hopefully I can make that up to everyone with my next chapter. What do you all think I should rename the story to (since I'm still debating on whether or not I want it to be what it is right now). Oh, and before I forget, I thank Elizabeth West for helping me with this chapter. **Evangeline and William are the only two characters that belong to me; the rest is JK Rowling and Warner Bros.**

**Also, many thanks to my beta, DBShaw.  
**

_The title is courtesy of Doris M Smith_


	5. Twins or War? I'd Rather Go To War

Chapter Five: I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war

The days felt like weeks for Hermione in the run up to Saturday. She was nervous about how everything would go down. Questions kept popping up in her head, demanding to be answered; would Snape actually take to the twins? Would the twins understand Severus' personality – one she found to be slightly poor when it came to people skills? The three days it took for Saturday were spent making up lost time with her parents and friends. She had her parents continually ask questions about the twins – more questions that she didn't want to answer than she did. She had ended up bringing a few toys for the twins to play with as she spoke with her parents.

"_Hermione, pet, why didn't you tell your father and I? We would have helped you in any way we could." Ignoring the childish name her mother called her, Hermione had a feeling her mother would have told her that anyways… though she also had a feeling that wouldn't have been their answer almost five years ago. "They're just darling." She watched as her mother sent a sideswipe look at the twins playing with the building blocks in the corner near the fireplace. "The day you went to go see that friend of yours, all they could do was talk about you and their days in Florida."_

"_I wanted to tell you both. Every day," Hermione took in a deep breath and let it out before she picked up again. "Countless pieces of paper were thrown away as I tried to write to you. I had even placed a few calls to home before I just gave up and ended the call." Hermione sent a sideways glance at the twins. She watched as they played with the orange cat that had come out from Hermione's old bedroom; she hadn't seen Crookshanks in years and missed the ball of fur. Putting her hand down, she called him over and he jumped up onto her lap. Yes, she missed him dearly._

_"Hermione, your mother's right. We would have helped you as best as we could." Hermione brought her attention back to her father. "We wouldn't have been happy at first for obvious reasons, but we would have gotten over it. You're our daughter."_

_"Daddy, Mum, the reason to have Liam and Evie... it wasn't entirely my decision."_

_"What do you mean, darling?" Hermione wasn't sure what to say, the words had slipped out without her knowing. Biting her bottom lip, her eyes travelled to the twins playing on the ground. They were still playing nicely. Liam was holding a teddy while Evie held a penguin-shaped teddy. They seemed content for the time being. "Hermione. What do you mean they weren't your decision?" _

_"Well..." Hermione started, but was quickly interrupted as Evie walked over to the adults. She was grateful for the disruption._

_"Momma..." Evie stopped for a second before she turned to her grandmother. "Grandma, do you have any paper? And a pencil?" Jane looked at her granddaughter and nodded and stood to retrieve the child what she asked for. "Thank you Grandma." Evie softly said when she was handed the materials she needed. Kneeling next to her mother on the floor, she placed the paper on the table and began practicing her letters and name spelling._

_It always brought a smile to Hermione's lips when Evie took pencil to paper to practice her name. Liam didn't like going over his letters as much as his sister and was still learning the actual alphabet; going over letters that have both curves and lines to them such as Q; P; R; G; B; and D._

The rest of the visit had gone on, her mother still asking about the children's father with Hermione right there trying to avoid it as best as possible. Earlier that night, Evie had been asked if she wanted pudding, but sulkily gave her new Nana Molly a sad 'no' and was sent up to her makeshift room to get ready for bed. The next day held a diverse assortment of events and activities with Harry, Ginny, and baby Lily. First, they ended up going to the park to have a picnic, then to see a movie showing at a muggle theatre, only to wind up having to go back to the Burrow so that Ginny could put down Lily for another nap.

"Did you like the film, kids?" Harry asked while Ginny was in the kitchen making a bottle for Lily. The twins had started playing with their own toys, leaving the other to peace. When they heard the question, each child looked up and nodded vigorously. The movie had contained a small talking mouse that lived with his muggle parents and brother; Stuart Little II was the name.

Ginny came back into the room when the bottle was heated and ready for the baby. Sitting next to Harry, she fed her daughter until she fell asleep. That was when Hermione had noticed something off.

While the baby slept, the three friends sat around talking while the twins played separately, Evie with her dolls and Liam with his toy cars. Hermione still had the task of how to tell the kids that they were special. She also needed to tell them that they were going to meet a special person. "Where's Ron been?" She asked, quickly changing the subject from Ginny asking about the twins' father. "I haven't seen him around and I've already been here three days." Harry was the first one to speak.

"He's actually away at the moment. He and Luna went on vacation to the Bahamas. Just to get away for a little while. Your disappearance had taken a huge toll on his emotions…" Ginny just sat there, nodding.

"Wha—what do you mean a huge toll?"

"Well… Hermione, the boy loved you." Ginny offered. "The first year after Vol—after Harry defeated You-Know-Who, Ron barely slept or ate. I think he got desperate enough to even ask Malfoy to help him."

When Hermione's brows furrowed together, she turned her head towards Harry as he explained. "During the battle… during the battle, Malfoy finally admitted he was on our side. Wholeheartedly. And, he told Ron and me how close you both had gotten during the last year of school." Harry's eyes grew sorrow. "Why couldn't you confide in us about your friendship with Malfoy?"

Hermione sighed and thought. _Because the both of you would have blasted him with an array of spells and stop talking to me altogether._ Her eyes drew themselves to the twins and couldn't help but smile through tears that were threatening to fall. Hermione hadn't brought the Dream House that went with Evangeline's dolls, but made extra sure she brought enough toys for them to play with. Her son was building a track for his cars to go around in before they would land safely next to him.

"Hermione?" She had barely registered Harry's voice.

"Hermione…?" Ginny chimed in. It wasn't until they both called to her that she brought her attention back to the young couple in front of her. "Hermione… how is it you couldn't tell them? Tell me?"

Hermione closed her eyes and placed her head in her hands as she rubbed them. "Why couldn't I tell you?" She asked their question out loud. She didn't see them, but she heard one friend – most likely Ginny since it seemed delicate – shift in her seat. She could almost see Harry nodding his head at her. When she brought her head back up, her vision was fuzzy for a moment before it restored. "I couldn't tell you because neither of you… none of you trusted him. I didn't need you thinking that I was 'sleeping with the enemy' so to speak." The guilty looks that they both gave her said she wasn't too far from the truth.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence. The only noise was that of the twins playing; Evie talking for each doll as she brushed one's hair and Liam's artificial sound effects as he smashed his cars into one another. "But Mommy… I don't want to take care of the baby." Evie's soft voice punctuated the air. "I'm sorry Casey, but I have to go to work. I'll see you and Kimi when I get home." Evie bounced the doll to the other side of where her second doll holding the baby-sized Barbie doll and placed her down. Hermione watched as her daughter turned her attention back to the other two as she picked up a male doll. "Casey, I need to run to the store. Do you want to come with me?" Silent laughter came from the three adults as they watched Evie nod to the doll as she imitated what she wanted the girl to do.

"She's cute…" Ginny interjected quietly as so not to disrupt the little girl's playing. Hermione smiled softly as she drew her eyes back to Ginny and Harry. "Mum told me that they didn't know." She continued; Hermione just kept her eyes on the little child in front of her. "When are you hoping to tell them?"

"I don't know…"

"Tell us what?" God bless Liam and his hearing skills – and intelligence for that matter as well. "Do you need to tell me and Evie something?"

"Evie and I, darling. And I do."

"What do you need to tell us, Momma?" Dolls now forgotten, Evie moved to sit on Hermione's lap as her twin went to sit in between Harry and Ginny – having taking a great liking to them after the day they had.

"Better now than ever, Hermione."

A huge sigh came from the witch and hugged Evie to her tightly. "Remember when I had told you both that you were special in more ways that you will ever know?" Both children nodded, both having remembered the countless times their mother would tell them that they were both so very special. "Well, you're special in a way that not everyone can be." Hermione stopped, trying to figure out how to explain it best she could to them. "Do you remember watching The Worst Witch with me? How they used wands and made potions in a cauldron?" Both kids nodded. "Well, that's the kind of special you two are. Eve, you're a witch and Li, you're a wizard."

Hermione quieted to see how the information sunk into the children. She watched as Liam furrowed his brows together much like she had always done while trying to piece a puzzle together. Her daughter sat in her lap, contemplating it all out loud. "So… we can do magic? We can fly on brooms? And we'll get wands and go to a school like Mildred did?"

Smiling, Hermione hugged her daughter. Suddenly the room got very quiet.

After being told her father never cared for her mother, Evangeline had learned to keep quiet on the subject matter. Still, the question that popped into her head was one she just needed to ask. "Is Daddy a wizard?" Hermione felt her heart in her throat and her smile faltered. She didn't know what to say and just sat there. "Momma? Is Daddy a wizard too?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione somehow found her voice. "Y-yes, darling. He is." This made the child in her lap rather giddy. Hermione saw the look that crossed Ginny's features – one that showed disappointment in the fact that Hermione wouldn't tell who the father was.

The day had gone slightly better than the one with her parents. Harry and Ginny respectfully stayed away from the subject of the twins' father as well as the kids didn't get in trouble.

Friday morning, the twins woke their mother up extra early. After a shower and getting the twins dressed along with herself, they went downstairs to see that Harry and Ginny were already up and Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face as Liam ran to sit on Harry's lap and her daughter ran to Ginny's side and kissed Lily on the forehead. Breakfast went by uneventful and soon Hermione and the twins went outside with Ginny and Harry in tow.

As the twins were sitting with their toys, Liam looked up at his mother. "Mom, could you show us some magic?"

Hermione looked at her son and nodded her head. "Of course, love." Taking out her wand, she looked around the yard. Asking for one of Liam's cars, she muttered "Geminio" and made a movement with her wand. Suddenly, there were now two cars in her hand and gave to her son who looked at his mother wide-eyed. "It'll only last for a few hours."

"Wow... me next. Me next, Mommy." Before she could do anything, one of her dolls began to float away from her. With a gasp, Evie stood up and tried to grab her doll. "Give her back!" Evie screamed and looked around to see who had made it happen.

"Ha... didn't think I would remember this one." Harry said as he floated the doll just above the child's reach.

"Give her back!" Evie demanded again.

"Watch this, Evie" said Harry with a wide grin as he turned the doll in the air then felt a sudden sharp pain in his shin. Looking down he saw the little girl poised with her foot back ready to kick him again and promptly allowed the doll to fall into the small child's hands.

"Stay away from Amy," Evie warned and pointed her small finger up at Harry.

"Shit," said Harry as he rubbed his shin and Evie trotted away, comforting the doll.

Hermione smiled and wondered if she should have warned Harry that Evie was very protective over her dolls and had a good right foot.

The day had drew on, all having dinner with Molly and Arthur before Ginny and Harry said their goodbyes and left for the evening. Hermione told the children to go get ready for bed before she went to go talk with Mrs. Weasley. "Need any help?" She called out, startling the old woman. "Sorry, Molly."

The old woman just waved her hand and smiled. "No worries, dear, and that would be wonderful, thank you." Hermione started to help her clear off the table from dinner as the two women began talking animatedly. "Those two are just lovely, Hermione. Evie is quite the talker. Kept me for a good, solid hour just telling me about all her dolls." They laughed as Molly handed Hermione a plate to clean off. She enjoyed the time she was spending with Molly. It felt as if she were really at home again. "And Liam is such the sweetheart. Constantly asked me if he could help clean up." Another plate dried and put in its correct place. Hermione just got lost in her thoughts.

Saturday. It was the day the twins would meet him. They didn't even know – no one knew about her secretive meeting with Severus Snape. In her mind, the day could go two very different ways. Either, he would be there; they would have a great day and would just like the twins off the bat – something she wasn't expecting at all. Or, it could go horrible, he would hate the twins, the twins would misbehave, and everything would have been done in vain. Coming back to London would have been a completely idiotic move. _But you did get to see everyone you haven't for five years… well, almost everyone._ Hermione just sighed and took another plate from Molly.

"Sickle for your thoughts, Hermione?"

"Hrm?" Hermione came out of her trance and looked at Mrs. Weasley. "Oh, nothing really. Just… thinking about tomorrow. I'm taking the twins to meet… to meet someone." If Molly cared to know who it was, she didn't show it, nor did she push the situation any further. With the last plate dried and stacked neatly, she turned to Mrs. Weasley and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you so much for inviting the twins and me to stay here. It means so much to me. And the twins." Molly just smiled and pulled the girl in for a hug.

The hug was broken when a small voice was heard from the doorway. "Momma? Can you read me and Evie a story?"

"Evie and me, Liam. And of course I can. Say goodnight to Nanna Molly."

"Night Nanna." Mrs. Weasley smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead as she bid him goodnight.

Picking her son up, Hermione carried him up the stairs and into the room he shared with his sister – the room she had guessed was Fred and George's bedroom when they lived at home. As she entered the room, she saw her daughter already snuggled up in her bed, all five animals surrounding her. "Story?" Hermione smiled, gave her daughter affirmation that there was going to be a story, and placed William in his bed.

"What story would you like tonight?"

"The three little pigs!" Evie cried out before her brother could state what he wanted.

"Jack and the Beanstalk."

Hermione sighed. This was not going to be easy. "Tell you what, I'll tell you the story of Jack and the Beanstalk tonight, and tomorrow night, I'll tell you the one of the Three little pigs, okay?" The kids nodded – Evie slightly disappointed that her mother hadn't chosen hers. "Once upon a time…" Hermione started and told her story. She didn't get to half of it before both kids were fast asleep, Evie with her thumb snugly in her mouth and Liam with his duck right under his arm. Placing a kiss to each forehead, she tiptoed out of the room and into the one she was using to get out her bedclothes for the evening before leaving the room to get a small glass of water.

Walking down the stairs, Hermione came to find that the twins hadn't picked up after they were done playing. She watched as Molly was hunched over in an ungodly angle, picking them up. "Molly… I can do that. They know better than to leave toys sitting around." She watched as the older woman stood up and looked at her with kind eyes. "Please." Molly nodded and walked over to give Hermione a hug.

She returned the hug and smiled. "It's so nice having people in the house again. Ron is usually at Luna's flat; George is with his wife Angelina; and Ginny is with Harry." Her eyes twinkled with delight, but Hermione could hear the sorrow that filled her voice. "It's just so quiet now with just Arthur and myself." All Hermione could do was nod her head, slightly easing out of Mrs. Weasley's hug and started picking up the toy cars.

The women busied themselves picking up after the twins – Hermione had given up after the fifth time of trying to tell the woman that she didn't need to help pick up – and soon found themselves tired with exhaustion. Molly bid a goodnight to Hermione and went up the stairs to the room she had shared with her husband for over forty years. As she picked up the remaining two dolls on the floor and put them in the basket she had borrowed from Mrs. Weasley, Hermione went to sit on the sofa. How the hell was she going to tell the children she was taking them to see their father? They had been asking about him for as long as she can remember, but never thought she would actually be bringing them to actually meet him. Then again, she had never believed that Severus Snape would say yes to her.

"Momma?" The little voice from the stairs had to call out to her twice more before Hermione opened her eyes and looked to see her baby boy standing there, duck under his armpit, snug. She gestured for him to come over to her and sit on her lap. "Momma… why have you been acting odd?" A smile came to Hermione as she hugged the boy to her.

"What makes you say that, Li?"

"Well… at dinner, you didn't say much. You were talking funny when you told Evie and me that we were special. And the entire day you just were different." She wasn't sure how, but every time she spoke to this child, he always found another way to amaze her. He was bright, young, and full of life and joy. "I also heard you and Nana Molly talking tonight… saying you were taking me and Evie to meet someone tomorrow."

When Hermione looked down, she saw the sheepish grin on the boy's face. "I am sweetheart."

"Who?"

"Well… someone you and Eves have been asking abou—"

"Daddy?" A soft chuckle came from her and placed a kiss on his black locks. That was all the answer the little boy needed to answer his question. "Really? Really, Mommy? We're finally meeting Daddy? When?"

Shushing the child, she leaned back on the couch and began rocking him. "Tomorrow. We should be meeting him for lunch." She felt the giddiness that ran through her son's veins, but didn't miss the yawn that erupted from him. "You should get your rest, angel. You and I both." Standing up, Hermione carried Liam back to the room he was sharing with Evangeline and put him back to bed, duck teddy tightly in his hands. "Goodnight my Liam." She placed a kiss on his forehead. She left the room and went across the hall where she had been staying and entered the room. Getting dressed for bed, she pulled on the nightshirt and bottoms and hopped into bed, falling into a fitful slumber.

Nothing special happened Saturday morning; Hermione had to place a couple calls back to the Day-care in Florida to apologize for not showing up – or calling for that matter and somehow explained that she had gone back to London with the twins to see friends and family she hadn't spoken to in five years. Her boss had told her that she fully understood and just asked for a call back to warn her when the family was coming home. She then called Lauren, having to explain the same thing and if she would receive their mail when it was convenient. With another yes, then lastly called her Land Lady to tell her of the news, making sure everything would be fine for however long she was gone. Molly insisted they have a nice breakfast of light boiled eggs and bacon and asked if they preferred soft or crispy bacon. The twins had both shouted out crispy, which got them a disapproving glare from Hermione. Both quietly told their new grandmother they were sorry for "using outdoor language". All Molly could do was laugh and put the bread under the grill for them as well as a few slices of bacon. Everything was going to plan until Liam decided to whisper where Momma was taking them today, which brought out a squeal from the girl. "You're taking us to go see Daddy? When? Where?" Growing red, Hermione looked at Molly and then Arthur. She still hadn't told them the identity of the twins' father.

"Really now? Who is it, Hermione dear?" Opening her mouth, Hermione tried to say something… but nothing came out. She looked at William with a frown and had quickly found that drinking his orange juice would stop him from having to answer his mother. Her eyes then flitted across to his sister where she got the same disapproving look. The young girl just turned red and looked away from her mother's piercing stare. "Hermione? Who is he?"

"H-he's no one…" she muttered. She still wasn't sure how they would take it. She wanted to see how the twins responded to him first, to see if there was going to be any more interaction between them. She needed to see if he even liked the twins.

Thankfully, any further confrontation was avoided when the door busted open and a rather reddening Ron and sun kissed Luna came through the door. "Mum, we're back from the Baha—Hermione? Where the bloody hell have—" His train of thought completely stopped when his eyes rested on the twins. "Who the bloody hell are they?"

"I'm Evie."

"And I am Liam." Each twin said respectively.

"Okay… now whose are they?" Ron sputtered. The only logical answer was right in front of him, yet he just didn't want to put two and two together.

"I do believe that they are Hermione's children, Ron." Luna was over, kneeling by the girl and brushing the pad of her thumb across her cheek. "And they are adorable, Hermione."

Ron looked over at Hermione and then back at the twins. "When…?" It was the only question that hadn't been answered. And it was an answer that Hermione didn't plan on telling.

"My goodness. Ronald. You're all red." Mrs. Weasley stepped over to her youngest son and started busying herself with looking at his burn. He tried to step away from her musings and talk over his mother to Hermione. When Molly got fed up with it, she took his chin by her hand and steered his gaze back at her. "What happened to the potions I told you to bring with you? So you wouldn't burn to a crisp like I see you have."

"Ron forgot them at home and by the time we were there, he didn't want to pop home to get them." Luna helpfully added into the mix as she went to sit next to Arthur. "I also tried to get him to buy sun tan lotion, but he just wouldn't listen to me."

With all the commotion in the kitchen, Hermione slipped herself into the living room, with each twin in tow. "Momma? Who is that?" Ignoring the twins for a moment, Hermione tried to get her bearings together. Had she been ready for all of this? Her life in Florida with them was perfect; everyone who knew her loved the twins and her company. They treated her with kindness and caring. She had even made a few good friends, like Lauren. "Mommy?"

"Evie, be quiet for one minute. Please!" She hadn't meant to yell the last bit, but Hermione was starting to regret taking Draco's advice and coming home. She heard the girl tearing up as she began whimpering and couldn't help but pull them close to her. William moved to her left side and Evie sidled up to her right. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm just really stressed out right now and apprehensive."

"Momma, what does app… ap-he… appeehenzive mean?"

"It means I'm nervous, Li. I'm scared as to how your father will react. If you'll like him."

"Who is he, Hermione?" She looked up to see Ron standing in the doorway. "Who is their father?" She didn't know what to say. She was back at the conversation he had interrupted earlier. "Where did you disappear to? Harry and I looked for you… for _years_."

"Don't yell at my Mommy." Liam stood up off the couch and stood for her well being. He offered to the strange man before climbing onto his mother's lap to comfort her.

"Ron, I'm sorry. But what did you want me to do? Stay here and be judged on my… decisions?" She knew it wasn't exactly her decision to get pregnant, but that was another story, for another day. "No one would have liked who he was. No one would have understood it. I barely did." Tears were filling up in her eyes. Tears for a cause she hadn't cried for since the night it happened. "I didn't know what to do. I panicked and ran. When Madame Pomfrey had told me I was pregnant… I was at a loss. I was barely eighteen. I wasn't ready."

"Then why keep them?"

It had been a question she asked herself for many years. But it would answer itself every time she looked into their faces. It reminded her how much she loved them and how much she loved being a mother. "Because they were mine." She finally answered. She looked at William who wiped a tear from his mother's cheek and then kissed it. Her head turned to Evie and she did the same thing with her mother's other cheek. "And I love them. I know I couldn't help with the war, and I regret that immensely, but I couldn't lose them. I couldn't lose the child I thought was living inside me. Little did I know there were two." She brought her eyes up to see not only Ron's face, but Luna's, Molly's, and Arthur's faces as well. Both women had tears forming in their own eyes. "Ron, I've come to love these two more than my own life. They're my world. What else was I supposed to do?"

She watched as Ron stomped out of the room, clearly upset. She heard Molly usher the kids back into the kitchen with Arthur for breakfast and then felt the seat beside her dip under Luna's weight. "I'm glad you kept them. They look up to you and stick up for you." Luna placed an arm around Hermione. "He just doesn't get it. He doesn't have kids to make him feel the way you just described. But I do hope soon that he does." This made Hermione look up at the blonde. All she could do was smile before she stood up and pranced into the kitchen for breakfast. Hermione just sat there for a few more minutes before she too got up to finish the breakfast that had been interrupted.

After breakfast, the twins went to get ready for the day, brushing their teeth and getting dressed. Evangeline had decided that she wanted to wear the knitted sweater Lauren had bought her for their holiday to Aspen, Colorado the previous spring. It was a pretty little thing with flowers coloured in purple and leaves greener than the grass outside. Hermione matched it with a pair of forest green leggings and topped it off with her trainers. She made sure to brush Evie's hair into two plaits to keep her hair out of her eyes

Liam wasn't as difficult to find something to wear. He tugged on a tee shirt and then the blue sweater he had received that spring with a pair of jeans and his white sneakers. As they took their brushes into the bathroom, Hermione climbed into her own clothes – a long-sleeved shirt with a pair of jeans. Throwing her hair into a ponytail to keep it from trailing into places where it shouldn't be, she went to check on the kids and brushed her own teeth as well.

The small family of three met in the kitchen where Molly hugged each twin in turn. Hermione was met with a sour glare from Ron and smiled sadly. She really didn't know what to say. She just didn't know what to tell them. The twins were hers and hers to handle. With a hug from Molly and a wish of good luck, Hermione pushed them each out the door. "Momma... are we getting there by flying on a broom?" She looked at the two and shook her head no. The last thing she wanted was to find herself back on a damned broom. She hadn't been on one since her First Year at Hogwarts and swore to never ride one ever again. She saw the small frown on Liam's face as her daughter continued on. "Then how are we going to meet Daddy?" Aparating was out of the question. The twins weren't ready for that yet – she was still surprised how they had gotten to London in one safe piece. Thinking back, she thought about how they were going to get there. The remnant thoughts of floo powder came to mind, but she also remembered how one could lose their footing if not used to it – or worse, ending up somewhere else if the name of the place wasn't said correctly. Last thing she needed was one twin ending up in Timbuktu and the other in Tokyo. "Momma?"

"One minute Evie. That's all I ask sweetheart. Just one minute while Mummy tries to get her head on straight." She inwardly chuckled at the face Evie made, trying to figure out what her mother meant. Deciding it was more important to figure out means of travel rather than explain the wording to her daughter, Hermione just began walking for the time being, making sure to grab each small hand in hers. _Fuck it... _She thought. "Remember when I told you we had special abilities?" She kneeled down on one knee and watched as her babies nodded in unison. "Well, Mummy can get from one place to another in a blink of an eye. But I need to concentrate, so that means you can't be talking to distracting Mummy. Understand?" When they nodded again, she wrap an arm around each child's waist and hoisting them up onto her hips. Looking back, she made sure she was far enough away from the Burrow and then concentrated on where she needed to be. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an alleyway just behind Honeydukes. Placing the kids down, she asked how they were holding up. With an okay from each, she steered them out into the streets of Hogsmeade and towards The Three Broomsticks.

To Hermione, it felt like it took forever to get to where they were going what with all the questions the children asked. When they finally reached the small pub, she opened the door for Evie and Liam to bustle through. Hermione stepped through and looked around. It was virtually empty save for a few patrons here and there. Hermione found Draco sitting in a small booth sipping on some tea. Scooting the twins that way, Hermione cheerfully greeted her friend. Turning, Draco smiled. "Hi Hermione. And hello Liam, and Evie." The smile on Hermione's face couldn't widen more than it had then. Every time she had seen him, she just couldn't recognize him due to his complete change in nature. He was sweet, he was caring, and there was no scowl that had seemed to take up residence on his face all throughout school. Draco scooted over in the booth and Liam climbed up onto the seat that was now available. Hermione and Evangeline took the other side. "I take it you've come to see Severus?" Hermione nodded.

Madame Rosmerta stopped over and asked Hermione what she would like. Ordering pumpkin juice for the twins, she ordered a tea and lemon for herself. "I never really gave him a time. All I told him was lunch here." She thought for a moment, "I think." A small chuckle erupted from the blonde across the table from her. Hermione took a deep breath and looked down at Evie who was playing with her fingers, obviously bored. It had gotten to the point where she even put her thumb in her mouth, which Hermione quickly reprimanded her daughter for doing. It was a bad habit to break – she knew that all too well – but she wanted Evie to quit. There was no need for such foolish pastimes like that. The digit was quickly plucked from her mouth and went back with her other set of fingers as she played with them.

"Momma… I'm bored. There's nothing to do." Hermione placed a kiss on the top of her child's head. Hermione had almost grabbed each child a toy so they wouldn't have to be this bored – then again; she didn't know they were going to be waiting. "Can Liam and I go look outside?"

"Absolutely not. You are four years old. What makes you think I'll just let the two of you wander around in an area you know nothing about?"

The girl just shrugged her shoulders. "We are gonna be five soon." Evie mumbled, earning a soft giggle from her twin and a disapproving look from her mother.

Draco sat in his seat and watched the mother-daughter confrontation unfold in front of him. Soon, he would be able to watch his own family grow like that. Deciding the two had had enough arguing – if one really could call it that – and cleared his throat. "Well, I've been here since around eleven and haven't seen him."

Hermione sighed heavily. "Right now, all I'm worried about is if he is going to even show up." There had been that scenario in the back of her mind when she tried to fall asleep the night before. "Do you think he will?" She watched as Draco looked at his watch then shrugged. Catching a glance at his watch, she noticed it was coming up on half past noon. "Why have you been here so long?"

"I had a fight with my wife. She's pregnant and rather emotional at this stage." Hermione just chuckled, having remembered little of that stage. "All Astoria does now is try to pick a fight. It gets…"

"Exhausting?" Hermione helpfully handed him a word. Draco nodded as he took a sip of his drink. Madame Rosmerta stopped back over and gave both children their pumpkin juice as well as handed Hermione her tea with a side of lemon. Giving her thanks, Hermione brought her attention to the door. It had just opened, but revealed that someone was leaving, rather than entering.

"He'll come. I promise." She knew it was an empty promise. Taking another glance at his watch, Draco's eyes widened. "I have to get back. Astoria and I have a medi-wizard appointment. Going to find out the gender." Hermione couldn't even contain her laughter at his excitement. He placed a kiss on Hermione's cheek and bid the twins a farewell before he left.

"That wasn't Daddy, was it Momma?" Hermione looked at Evie and shook her head. "Then where is he?"

"I wish I could tell you, Eves. I really wish I could."

After sitting there, each child having two cups of pumpkin juice and shared a serving of Yves pudding, Hermione sighed. It was nearing one thirty and he still hadn't showed. She willed him to get up off his ass and meet her there with the children. She knew she never really specified where, but she figured he would have thought it through and realized she did mean the Three Broomsticks, but alas, as it quickly turned towards two, Hermione just gave up. Paying for the drinks and pie, Hermione ushered the twins back out and into the streets. "Can we look around, Momma?" Hermione looked down at her son as she held his hand and nodded.

The three walked around and stepped into Honeydukes. Each child was amazed at what types of sweets and chocolates were provided. Evie found herself to be more attracted towards the toffee and nougat, while Liam wandered around and found himself searching through some of the oddities that were blood pops and sugar quills. Hermione had told each child they could have five sickles worth each, she was trying to teach them about wizarding money and put into context, "Five sickles is about 3 dollars." Leaving with bags brimming with new and exciting sweets, they left Honeydukes and made their way towards Gladrags.

They didn't get much further than the door when Hermione heard someone call out to her. It was a voice she hadn't forgotten that easily. "Ms. Granger, where were you? I waited for twenty minutes just outside Hogwarts before coming to find you here." Taking in a deep breath, Hermione stopped the kids and turned to see Severus Snape. "You did say lunch, did you not?"

"I did. But I waited in the Three Broomsticks with Draco and the twins for more than an hour and a half. Waiting for you to show up." Snape clucked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "I didn't think you would show, so I decided to show the children around since they just learned of their specialties."

Evie went to go sit on a bench and took out a toffee before popping it into her mouth. Liam stood behind his mother, clutching her hand, the man talking down to her frightening him slightly. "You never said where to meet, so I decided you would show up just outside the gates. Guess I should have known better." Acid flew through her veins as he diminished her in front of her children. Liam clung to Hermione as Evie finished off her candy before calling to her brother. Snape's gaze broke away from Hermione's and looked at the children as they interacted. "Are these the two?" He asked her, acidity gone from his voice. Hermione just nodded. "Names?"

"Evangeline and William." She told him. "My grandparents' names." He just nodded and stepped away from Hermione to inspect the twins. "Evie reminded me of you. Your arrogance and stride." At this, said child brought her nose up in disgust.

"Who are you?"

Severus looked down at the child. "I am Severus Snape, and you, apparently, are my spawn?"

"How nicely put." Hermione added, taking on Snape's drawl back from her schooldays. "And yes, that is your daughter. And next to her is your son."

"Momma… you… you mean this is our D-Daddy?" Frowning at her son, Hermione just nodded. There wasn't much else for her to do.

"But Mommy… he's mean and smells."

"_Evangeline_, that is not how you speak to your father!" Hermione scolded.

"But he is…" Hermione just gave up at that point, hanging her head in shame.

"Sharp tongue she has. How is it she reminds you of me when all I clearly see is you in them? Wit, sass, aggravating. What more can I say?" Snape turned to smirk at Hermione.

"Saying you're not smart now, Severus? Saying you are not aggravating? She may be right, but it doesn't mean I'll let her speak to you that way." Snape just brushed it off as he looked at the boy.

"And this is my son, you say? Black hair, yes, but I see all your features, Ms. Granger."

"I don't have a hooked nose, professor." She said, moving to pick up her son. She placed a kiss on her son's nose before sitting on the bench next to Evangeline. Hermione just stared at her former professor. This useless arguing was just asinine and foolish; it wasn't getting either adult any further in the project at hand. And at this moment, it was the children who needed to be discussed, not figuring out who looked like whom. Taking a stand at being the more mature adult of the two, Hermione was the first to speak. "I apologize, Professor Snape. It's not bickering that we should be doing right now. The children deserve to meet their father and at least have a chance to get to know him." Her eyes never left Snape's as he looked at the twins and sneered. "And you deserve to meet and get to know them. They both have different personalities. Eves is exactly like you, sharp tongue and an air of arrogance. Li is like me, quiet and loves to help me in the kitchen and sweet. They're both intelligent beyond compare. Especially for only four."

"We're going to be five soon, Mommy." Hermione smiled at her son.

"I stand corrected. They are almost five." She sat in her rooted spot and looked at Severus. He seemed to find his interest in the twins, glancing at them and trying to understand them. "They're my life, Professor Snape." She stopped talking and just stood there, looking at the kids sitting on the bench. Evie was opening her bag of candy again and was just about to open it to take a bit before Hermione spoke up. "Evie, no more please. I don't need you ruining your dinner. After we've eaten you can have one more chocolate."

This response from her mother didn't seem to sit right with the little girl. "But Liam has already had three pieces." She spoke up in her defense. "Why does he get to have more than I do?" At this, Liam placed his fourth candy back in the bag after opening it and grinning sheepishly with a small blush creeping up his ears.

"It looks as if your mother needs to learn how to keep her eyes on you both more." Snape just smirked as he turned his head to look at Hermione. "If you weren't so intent on making sure I was around to meet the two you claim to be my kin," He stopped for a second to take a breath before continuing. "Then maybe you can control your child's intake of sweets." He folded his arms and stood there, his eyes staying on Hermione.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed the bags from her children so they wouldn't be able to sneak any more candy and placed them on the ground next to her. "I was intent on you meeting them because not only have they been asking where their Daddy was since they learned how to form the question, but because Draco seemed to have this objective on making sure I came back to see everyone. It only seemed logical you be in the same boat as myself. Let you meet the twins and get to know them."

"Momma… I don't feel so good…" Hermione turned her concentration to her son where he was holding his stomach. He quickly stood up to walk over to his mother when he went and became sick all over the ground. Looking up, she saw the tears in his eyes and heard the sniffles. "I'm sorry, Mommy." His lower lip was quivering when Hermione picked her baby up, shushing him softly and rocking them back and forth. "I don't wanna go to lunch, I wanna go back to Nanna Molly's."

With a sympathetic sigh, she hugged her son to her and nodded. "We'll go home." Her attention went to a rather disgusted Snape. "What's the matter, never had to deal with an ill child before?" The face he gave her told her that he never had nor did he plan on dealing with one very soon. She looked at Evie who was still sitting on the bench; rather keen sense to stay where her bottom was rooted. "Would you like to go to Nanna Molly's Eves?" The little girl just nodded her head. "Alright, I guess we're leaving early then."

"And we were having such a good time too." Drawled Snape, his tone sarcastic. Hermione gave a glare towards him before she moved to pick up the candy bags to place in her pocket and then helped Evie jump over the spot where her brother got sick. "Though, do make sure when you decide to bother me once again, which I know you just can't wait to do, do not bring contaminated children with you. Last thing I need is to become ill and let some insipid _replacement_ take over my class for a day."

"Maybe they can find someone with a bit more personality who can also teach." She shot back. She had always respected Severus Snape for his ability to work with complex potions, but his inability to relate – or even be civil for that matter – to his students could infuriate her sometimes. A small sniffle came from the little boy in her arms and she looked into his eyes. His entire body was burning up and he was beginning to shiver. "You'll be okay, little one. We're going home." Though, the next thing that happened astonished her beyond all belief. Severus Snape took his fleece cloak off and draped it across Hermione's front where she was holding Liam, keeping him warm. She was speechless. "Uhm… thank you."

"Just don't let him soil it. I also expect to have it back within a couple days." Hermione nodded, thanking him for at least being considerate to Liam's health.

Parting ways, Hermione grabbed hold of Evie's hand and making sure the cloak didn't drag on the ground, she held Liam much like she had when he was a baby. He had his legs spread around her hip and his head rested on his mother's shoulder. From head to toe he was covered in the huge cloak his father let him borrow. _He may be mean and smelly like Evie said…_ the little boy thought as he closed his eyes. _But he's still my Daddy and he gave me his big blanket._ It was one of the last thoughts Liam thought of before he slipped off into dreamland. A land where he now had Mommy, Daddy, Evie and himself; where they had picnics and Daddy played with him and his cars while Evie and Mommy played with her dolls. It was a utopia in the little boy's head. And he hoped that reality could be just as sweet as his dreamland.

Hermione and Evie had decided to walk most of the way home back to Nanna Molly's house. The two girls talked all the way there while the Liam slept. "What did you think of your Daddy?" Hermione asked her daughter. She knew pretty much the answer the child would give her, but making conversation and keeping the girl entertained would make time go faster. "Did you like him? Dislike him? Did you feel comfortable arou—"

"He was yucky and mean." The child cut her mother off. "I did not like him at all. He made me feel like a child."

"Eves, you are a child, darling." Hermione chuckled at her daughter. She knew exactly where the girl had gotten that too. When she had just started out at the day-care, some of the other, older women had spoken about her "ghastly judgment" to get pregnant at just eighteen behind her back. When they had to confront her, they made her feel like when she had to chastise the twins, she was substandard. That she was too naïve to take care of babies. Well, she was too young to take care and have two children, but that had been beside the point.

"Momma… you're being quiet. Are you thinking about home again?"

Her daughter's voice brought her back to London and looked down at Evie. "I was, love. Anyways, I know Daddy was mean. That's just how he is. He doesn't know how to act around children younger than ten."

"Why?"

"Because Daddy is a teacher, but he works with children aged eleven to eighteen." She tried to explain.

"Can I ask you another question, Mommy?" Hermione just made a noise of approval, letting Evie continue. "Why didn't Daddy and you get married and have lots of babies, not just me and Liam.?"

"Liam and I, sweetheart and I've explained this to you. Daddy didn't love me. He hurt Mummy a lot, but he gave the two greatest gifts of my life." Evie smiled which caused Hermione smile. However, that smile faltered when she heard a cough and sneeze come from beneath the cloak. "We're almost home, Li. I'll draw you a bath and clean all of the sick from you." She heard him moan in pain along with another sneeze. It hadn't taken long for them to reach the Burrow and the moment they did, Evie ran into the house and right into Ginny's arms, giving her a hug. As Hermione walked in, she saw Ginny sitting on the couch, Lily in a bassinet next to her. Evie had placed herself on Ginny's lap and told her about her day, how she got to have sweets and fudge as well as got to see so many people, even _Daddy_. "Uh, Eves… can you come with Liam and me to the bathroom. I want to make sure you don't have a cold as well." Obeying her mother, Evie climbed off of Ginny's lap and took her mother's hand.

They walked up the staircase towards the third floor. Walking into the bathroom, Evie quickly went to close the lid on the toilet and sat there as Hermione began stripping her little boy. Turning on the water to the tub, she waited for the tub to fill with nice, warm water. She helped Liam into the bathtub and began to drizzle water down his back. "That feels good, Momma." Liam groggily said before giving his mother a satisfied sigh and closed his eyes. His whole body felt achy and hurt a lot, especially his tummy. "Mommy… my tummy is in pain." Hermione moved her hand down to his tummy and rubbed a soft hand in slow circles. It pained her to see her baby hurting. Leaning down, she placed a kiss to his matted black hair

"You're not feeling any better, are you?" Liam just shook his head and Hermione's heart ached. Washing him quickly, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him before she pulled him out. Draining the water, Hermione stood and looked where her daughter sat on the toilet. She looked pale as if she too were coming down with something. Her head was leaning against the cabinet and vanity counter and her eyes were shut closed. She looked peaceful. "Eve…" Hermione walked towards Evie and shook her shoulder gently so not to startle her. "Evie, wake up love." The little girl opened her eyes and looked at her mother.

"Mommy…?"

"Why don't we put you to bed, you look sleepy." Evie nodded and complied with her mother. Taking Hermione's hand, the trio moved from the bathroom to the room that Evie and Liam were sharing. Letting Evie tend to her own clothing – since she didn't seem to be taking to the cold as badly as her brother was – Hermione sat on Liam's bed and dried him off more thoroughly. She grabbed a pair of blue cotton undies and helped Liam put them on, one leg at a time. She then donned his pajama top with the picture of a puppy on it and his bottoms that matched with small bones all over it. When he was dressed, Hermione stood up, pulled the blankets back and helped Liam lie down and tucked him in. When he was settled snugly with the duck right next to him, Hermione turned to see her daughter with her nightgown over her head, yet the small head hadn't surfaced out of the fabric. Walking over, she gave a small chuckle and helped pull the fabric down so that Evie's head popped out.

"Hello love." Hermione whispered, placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead. Pulling back the covers to Evie's own bed, the girl hopped in and pulled her mother down and in for a hug, telling that she loved her. "I love you too, Evie." Planting each animal all around Evie, Hermione placed one more kiss on her forehead before she began to depart out the door.

"Momma?"

Hermione turned to look at her daughter, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"You said you could read the three little pigs for us tonight." She was so eager to hear her favourite story.

"Not tonight, love. Liam is sick and already fast asleep. And I'm beginning to suspect that you're coming down with the same thing. Tomorrow we'll see how you feel, okay?" Evie nodded, seeming to be convinced for now that a story would then ensue tomorrow. Hermione left and closed the door, leaving it open a crack so that they would have a bit of light to fall asleep to.

Hermione left and closed the door, leaving it open a crack so that they would have a bit of light to fall asleep to. Hermione left the room to go into the bathroom to pick up. The last thing she needed was someone questioning why there was a large male cloak lying on the floor. Especially one that belonged to neither Mr. Weasley nor Harry – wherever he was as it is. Picking up the towels and cleaning the floor of the small damp area where she dried Liam off, she then took out her wand to banish the towels clean and placed back in their spot. Lastly, Hermione picked up the cloak lying on the floor lifeless and quickly performed a cleaning charm to remove any trace of Liam's sickness or water. Wrapping it around her arm, she placed it in the room she was borrowing and laid it at the end of her bed. Surely no one would see it there.

She made her way down the stairs and saw Ginny still in the living area of the house. Little Lily was not in the bassinet and the blanket covering Ginny's front gave away that she was feeding. "Hey Gin." She said from the stairs and moved down them. Ginny looked up and smiled at her friend.

"Hi Hermione. Are the twins alright?" Hermione nodded and looked back up towards the stairs. "Did they come down with something? Or did the date with their father not go so well?" At this, Hermione gave the woman beside her an alarming look, afraid she may have seen her and the twins with Snape. Ginny just chuckled. "Mum told me. So how did it go?"

Hermione closed her eyes and laid her head in her hands. "Horribly." Was all she could say. "They hated him and he was terrible."

"Who is he?"

That was the million-galleon question at the moment. She still just couldn't say, and why would she? They would just think of her as crazy – especially without the story behind it. "That sounds like a pretty good question to me." Hermione just groaned when she heard Ron's voice. She had left on bad terms with him earlier that morning and still had yet to resolve things. "Who is their father? Why did you leave?"

"I just… I can't tell. I don't know how any of you would react."

"It can't be that bad Hermione. I mean, you were friends with Draco Malfoy—"

"Something I still can't even fathom." As Hermione looked up, she saw the remnants of the glare Ginny shot her brother.

"You were friends with Malfoy, Hermione. What can be worse than that?" _Snape being their father…_ She just couldn't say it out loud. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't. She wasn't ready to tell them. "Hermione?" Shaking her head, she muttered something about going to take a warm shower before dinner. Leaving both redheads to wonder more on the mystery man who had given Hermione two beautiful children.

As she went to go draw the bath, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. The reflection she saw back was her own, albeit it still looked different. "I'm a mother of two wonderful children." She said to herself in the mirror. "Two gorgeous, gifted four-year-old children who need me." Her face fell as she realized her next statement. "I'm the mother of Severus Snape's two children…" It needed to be said out loud. She hadn't really ever stated it much, just thought about it. "Evangeline and William… my children… and kin to Severus Snape."

She noticed the bath had reached its max limit and magically stopped despite the water still running. She went to shut it off and rid herself of her clothes. Testing the water with her toe, she quickly dipped in and her full form became submerged in the tepid bath. Her eyes closed and let the water shroud her in warmth. She began questioning once again if this was a good idea. She knew she would have had to tell the twins they were wizards sooner or later – especially when their letters came, if they came. She would have had to come back to face everyone sooner or later; she would have to confront Snape. All within the next six to seven years this day would have had to come where she saw everyone. She almost hated the fact that Draco had found her, the prat. Then again, it wasn't entirely his fault. He had been stationed in Florida on business and found the same quaint coffee shop she visited almost every morning as well as lunch.

Hermione sucked in a breath and dunked her head under the water. When she came back up, she wiped the excess water from her eyes and looked around. The water erased her aches and began to sit back up. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. Water dripped from her long hair. Grabbing another towel, she wrapped her hair up to dry it out. Picking up her clothes and letting the water drain from the tub, Hermione walked from the bathroom to the bedroom she was using for the time being. Tossing the clothes from the day on her bed, she rummaged through her things for some pajamas. She threw on a tank top and a pair of running pants. She unwrapped the towel from her hair and began to run a brush through it.

When she was satisfied with her hair, she charmed the towel back into its place, all nice, neat, and clean. Hermione bound back down the stairs and into the family area to find Ginny sitting with Ron and Harry talking. Lily looked to be fast asleep in Harry's arms. As she walked further into the room, she saw Luna sitting on a single chair. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a pony tail and a book sat on her lap. "Hermione, come, sit, please." She was distracted by Ginny's voice and smiling face. With a smile of her own, she moved to sit on the other side of Ginny. "Ron and Luna were just telling us how the Bahamas were." Hermione squeaked out a little _oh_ and looked at Ron.

"No, no, I would much rather listen to Hermione's da—ow, Gin that hurt."

"Serves you right. Stop pestering into Hermione's life. She'll tell us who the father is when she's ready." Ron just glared at his sister before standing up to go sit next to Luna. Hermione sent Ginny a grateful smile before she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I think I'm going to see if Mum needs any help with dinner. Ron, why don't you come and help us?" With another glare to his sister, he obeyed and stood to follow her into the kitchen, Luna not far behind.

"How are you?"

It was a simple question, but Hermione didn't know how to answer it. In the end, she decided on the easiest – whether it's the correct one or not. "Good. The day could have gone better, but at least the kids got to see Hogsmeade. I let them get some candy and we were about to see what Gladrags had in stock yet S—yet their father showed up, quite the sourpuss." Harry nodded as he rocked Lily back and forth as she began to fuss. The two friends sat in silence while Harry tried to quiet down his daughter. After five minutes passed, Hermione offered to take the howling baby to help calm her down. "Shh, shh, it's okay." Hermione stood and bounced the baby lightly in her arms as her hand patted her bum. "Lily, calm down little girl. It's okay."

Hermione held her close and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "She might be hungry." Harry voiced and stood. The two went into the kitchen to find that dinner was just minutes away from being ready. Harry fixed a bottle while Ginny came to take her daughter from Hermione. The child had calmed down immediately when she felt her mother holding her. The twins had been the exactly the same way, always knowing when their mother was near. Hermione couldn't help the smile that came to her; Ginny just looked so natural holding that baby girl.

Molly placed the last bowl of food on the table for dinner and as Hermione went to sit down, she heard a small whine come from the doorway. "Momma… Liam threw up again." Before Hermione could turn to help her son, Molly was up and out the door, taking hold of Evie's hand to fix the problem.

"Hermione, sit down. The woman doesn't get to handle kids much anymore." She looked at Ginny as he finished before taking a bite of the meatloaf that was on her plate. Realizing that Ginny was right, she did so and moved to her seat and cut off a piece of the loaf and placed it on her plate. "I do feel bad for Mum. There are times when she feels so useless because everyone has grown up."

Hermione quickly finished up her dinner as she came to the realisation that she wanted the twins to meet with Snape again. She felt that they needed just a little more bonding time before Hermione told Harry, Ron, and the others who their father actually was. With the last bite in her mouth and swallowed, she quickly made an excuse to wanting to see how her son was doing and put the dish in the sink.

Carefully walking up the stairs, she ran into Mrs. Weasley. "He's alright, Hermione. Just became ill again. Nothing a good _Scourgify _couldn't do." With a smile and thank you to the older woman, Hermione went into the room she was staying in and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill. She sat there for a few moments as she tried to think of a letter to send him.

After scratching out "Dear Professor", "Dear Severus Snape", "Dear Snape", and "Dear Professor Snape". After several failed attempts, which were left, crumpled in the bin she came up with:

"_Dear Severus,_

_First, I wanted to thank you for your consideration for your son's health. Both Evie and Liam are doing well, still sick, but nothing a good night's sleep won't fix. What I am writing to you about is that I want you and the twins to have a second chance at getting to know one another. They greatly deserve their father in their life. I do hope you give them another chance, as they are willing to give you. We will meet you outside of the Leaky Cauldron. They haven't seen Diagon Alley yet._

_Hermione"_

Satisfied with her letter, Hermione attached it to Pig before sending him off, on his way before falling into bed to sleep. Her last thought was whether or not they would get a second chance.

**Coming Soon:** Well, well, well... I see another meeting with Daddy in your future. As well as a band of redheads ready to knock down the castle doors and a father confused as to why his daughter is so accepting of her rapist.

**A/N: **Well, here's the fifth installment. A lot longer than the others, but neither DBShaw nor I could find a good place where it ocould be broken up into two parts. Anyways, thank you for the reviews for chapter four, they are always greatly appreciated. Review and tell me what you think.

**General Disclaimer: The only thing I own are Evie and Li; everything else belongs to either JK Rowling or Warner Bros.**

_Title Courtesy of George W Bush_


	6. Sooner or Later the Truth Comes to Light

**Author's Notes:** Please make sure to go back and scan over previous chapters. They have been changed a lot and a good amount of inconsistencies have been fixed thanks to beta InnocentGuilt.

Chapter Six: Sooner or Later, the Truth Comes to Light

_Tap. Tap. Tap._ Hermione woke up to the sound of noise against the window. Turning over, she saw a tawny brown owl perching on the sill. He looked to be growing rather impatient with the witch as she lazily got out of bed. Opening the window, Hermione gave the bird a pat on the head – having no treats for it and took the letter.

_"Miss Granger_

_While I think it would be in the best interest of the children that we not meet again, I do believe your son has my cloak. It is regretful that the children are sick and I do hope they regain their health. However, since you can't seem to give a specific date, I will be waiting at the Leaky Cauldron for you next Wednesday at precisely four in the evening. Do not be late for this will be the last time you contact me._

_Professor Severus Snape"_

Hermione let out an unladylike snot as she reread his letter. So she had three days to deny the Weasleys and Harry the identity of Severus Snape. One part of her just didn't want to think about that – the other just wanted to come out and tell them all. She just wasn't sure how they would all take it. Hermione folded the letter back up and put it in the trunk she was using for her clothes and toiletries. Taking out a pair of jeans and a warm shirt with a sweater, Hermione went to take a quick shower before she got Liam and Evie up.

After she cleansed herself and got dressed, Hermione went to the room her children slept in only to find it empty. Each child's pajamas were neatly folded – well, as neatly as two four-year-olds can do – and their beds were made just like she taught them to do at home. She moved down the stairs to see Liam and Evie on the ground playing. They both looked paler than normal and Liam looked as if he still was about to be sick, but other than that, no one would be the wiser that Liam was up a good part of the night vomiting.

Evie was the first to look up. "Momma!" She cried. Getting up, she met her mother halfway and gave her a hug. "Liam and me were hungry, but Nanna Molly said we had to wait till you woke up." Hermione gave Evie a warm smile before going to pick up Liam. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before asking if he felt better. He gave Hermione a nod. "Can we go eat, Momma?"

Hermione nodded as she walked into the kitchen with Liam in tow. As she entered, she saw Molly placing a bowl of hot porridge in front of the children. After letting it cool, they both began to eat. "Good Morning, Hermione." She turned to Arthur and gave her own greeting as she sat down.

Hermione and Arthur talked about everything that had been happening since she came back to London. Hermione told him about the day she had with the twins in Hogsmeade, telling Arthur how they went into Honeydukes where Evie and Liam got to experience different sweets than they were used to back home. She then slowly began to tell Arthur that she planned on showing the twins around Diagon Alley.

"Did you meet up with the twins' father as well?"

Hermione brought her attention to Molly instantly. The older witch was placing plates of food in front of Arthur and Hermione before placing her own down as she sat. Her eyes went to the twins who looked antsy, as if they wanted to tell Molly and Arthur about him. She brought her gaze back to Molly and slowly nodded. "I did and I might be taking them again. Just one more time." Out of her peripheral vision, Hermione didn't miss the look each child had. Liam was grinning, yet Evie had a grimace that crossed her features.

"I don't want to see Daddy again, Mommy."

"But I do! He was nice; he gave me his big blanket." Hermione looked at Liam and smiled.

Finishing up her breakfast, she waited till the twins finished eating before placing her plate along with the kids' dishes in the sink. She quickly washed off all trace of food and then ushered the children back upstairs. "But Mommy, I feel fine!" Evie exclaimed, but quickly quieted down when she saw the look given by Hermione. "Sorry Mommy…" she said quietly before being ushered into the bedroom. Hermione moved to open the shades to the room so that there was light. She then went to grab a few toys for each child before grabbing a book and sitting on Liam's bed.

"Are you going to read us a story, Mom?" Hermione gently nodded before opening the book.

"Once upon a time there were three little pigs who went out into the big world…" Hermione started, hearing the gleeful sound her daughter made, "to build their homes and seek their fortunes. The first little pig…" on she continued with the story, singing in silly voices when the pigs sang and laughing when the pig let out a hearty laugh. She knew the story frontward to back, but kept the book with her so that she could show the kids the pictures. "So he huffed…and he _puffed_ and he puffed and he _huffed_…" each word got more stress on it as she breathed loudly, huffing and puffing herself. She loved it when the twins giggled and joined in. It was possible they knew the story just as well as she did. "And so," she said as she began to end the story, "the three little pigs never saw the big bad wolf again and lived in the brick house, merrily singing and dancing."

"I like that story, Mommy." Evie said as Hermione closed the book.

"I know you do, Eve, it's why I read it for you." Hermione turned to Liam who had fallen asleep once again, his poor body still recuperating from the ailment. "Are you feeling sick at all, Evie?" The little girl furrowed her brows together before shaking her head. "Still, I want you to take it easy for the day." Hermione whispered.

With a nod from the child, Evangeline began to throw her covers back. "Can I go sit with Nanna Molly and Papa Arthur?" After a few minutes of thought, Hermione decided that would be perfectly fine. Both mother and daughter tiptoed out of the room so they wouldn't wake the sleeping boy.

They walked down the stairs together where Molly and Arthur were talking quietly. Hermione stopped Evie when she heard her name. "This isn't right, Arthur. Those kids need a father and a stable environment. I only let Hermione stay here because she's like a daughter to me."

"Molly, please. She'll tell us when she's ready. And hopefully their father will step up."

"Who do you think they look like, Arthur?"

"Honestly, Molly, I don't care all that much. And neither should you. The problem lies between Hermione and those kids' father. They have to work something out."

"I'm just saying… soon she's going to have to find a flat to stay because I don't know how much more I can take. All this sneaking around to hide his identity almost as if she were ashamed of their lineage."

"Molly that is enough." Exclaimed Arthur. "She will tell us when she's ready and hopefully he'll man up to the task of being Evie and Liam's father. Now please, enough of this nonsense." Molly looked at Arthur in a displeased manner, but it was quickly forgotten when she heard a creak from the stairs as Evie and Hermione came down.

"How are you, love? And how's Liam?"

"He's asleep, Molly. He still doesn't feel good." Hermione said with a bit of a cold edge to her voice. "I told Evie she can play down here while he is asleep." The mentioned child went over to the crate of toys her mother brought with them and began to play. The warm smile Molly gave Hermione did nothing after what she had heard. Grabbing a book she had been reading, Hermione went to sit on the couch and began to read.

The rest of the day went pretty quickly. Liam slept through lunch and woke up just before dinner. Hermione avoided Mrs. Weasley at all costs, only talking to when spoken to. After dinner, Liam went to go take a bath with the watchful eye of Molly while Hermione and Evie cleaned up the living area from all her toys. Once finished, Evie went into the room she shared with Liam and got out her pajamas for her own bath. Molly stepped out of the bathroom while Hermione slipped in to find Liam just starting to get out. "Need some help, sweetheart?" Liam nodded as he stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his body as she began drying him up. "Do feel better after your long nap?" He nodded again and held up his arms while Hermione put on his shirt and then helped him into his pants. "It's time for bed, son." Hermione place a kiss on his cheek and patted his bottom as he walked to the room he was using.

"Momma, can I take a bath tomorrow and not tonight?"

"You're going to be one stinky little girl if you don't." Evie's eyes widened and she quickly undressed before hopping into the tub. Hermione magically filled the tub with clean water before putting her wand onto the vanity counter. "Call me if you need help, I'm going to get Liam in bed." Hermione gave Evie a washcloth before she exited the bathroom to help Liam into bed. "Goodnight my love." She placed another kiss on his forehead and tucked him in and grabbed the duck he slept with. With one more hug, she said another goodnight and then left back for the bathroom. "Almost done?"

"Yes, Momma… can you help me with my hair." Hermione agreed and began washing the long dark locks. Hermione worked the shampoo into a thick lather and then rinsed Evie's hair with water and conditioned it. Hermione helped Evie out of the bath, dried her and then helped her with her nightgown and panties before ushering her off to bed as well.

With another set of goodnight hugs and kisses, Hermione positioned each animal around Evie before leaving for bed herself. She was about to go into her room until Molly stopped her. "Good night, Hermione." She said her good nights and then entered her room where she got into her own pajamas and went to sleep.

It didn't take long for Monday and Tuesday to pass, each how the day before went. Liam still slept, less than he had Sunday, but still enough. They had lunch and dinner before their nightly rituals and Hermione would usher them to sleep. Both nights she had ended up reading _The Ugly Duckling_ and _The Adventures of Mr. Toad_.

As Wednesday came, Hermione and the twins spent the morning like they had the previous mornings; breakfast and then into the family area where Hermione read and the twins played. Ginny had come home from work for lunch with her parents and Hermione. She had dropped Lily off early that morning. Before Ginny left, she spent some time with the twins as they showed her how to play with the racetrack while Hermione went to get a hot cup of tea. "We're going to see Daddy today." Liam told her happily. "He let me borrow his big blanket when I got sick."

"Is that so? And who is your Daddy?"

Liam wrinkled his nose as he tried to remember the name. It wasn't one someone could remember in passing. "I think Mommy said Mr. Snap."

"No, she said Snoop." Evie corrected. Both names sounded slightly recognizable, but couldn't really make it out. "I think Daddy's name was Samuel Snoop."

Just then Hermione walked into the family room and heard their conversation. Ginny's piercing gaze landed on her and Hermione felt as if she were being interrogated. "Samuel Snoop? Mr. Snap? Hermione, what are you hiding?" Hermione bit her bottom lip as she went to go sit on the couch. Leaving the twins to their games, Ginny sat next to Hermione. "Do they mean Professor Snape?" Hermione's look – and groan – was all the answer that Ginny needed. "When? Where? How?"

"Gin… just, please. Don't tell Harry or Ron yet. I was going to tell you all in small doses." Hermione's eyes pleaded with the redhead. Ginny gave her friend a reassuring hug and promised not to leak it to anyone until Hermione was ready. "Thank you, Ginny." With one last hug, a hug to each twin and a kiss to Lily, Ginny went off to work.

The wait for four o'clock seemed to go on endlessly. Hermione had gathered the cloak and set it to the side so that she wouldn't forget it. As it hit three forty-five, Hermione just couldn't wait any longer and told Molly that she was leaving with the twins before they went off. She placed a coat on each child and then used Snape's cloak for her own coat at the time being. With each child close to her, Hermione popped just outside of the Leaky Cauldron. She found a bench for the children to sit on while they waited. _Goodness, it has been too long since I've been here._ Hermione thought. Right on the dot, Snape showed up. Taking off his cloak, Hermione handed it to him. He took it before the "family" of four went inside to get something small as an early dinner.

"Well at least I didn't have to wait and go find you this time."

"Could you at least _try_ to be civil for the children's sakes?" With a nod, a waitress came over to start them out with drinks. When she came back, they ordered what they wanted before beginning to talk. Things slowly started to fall into place. Snape was being _kind_ to the twins, asking them what they liked and how they liked the wizarding world so far. Each twin had a different response.

"I think it's awesome!" Liam exclaimed. "I've always wanted to fly on a broom. Momma, can I? Can I please?"

"Absolutely not. You are too young." Hermione told him with a snicker from Snape.

However, Evie took this time to give her own description of what she liked and disliked. "I do not think it's awesome. But I do like it. But I do not want to fly on a broom." Their food arrived and Evie picked up her fork as she swirled around the pasta. "But I do want to make potions. That looked cool." This caught Snape's attention.

"Potions?"

"Yeah… I like cooking with Mommy and when I watched _The Worst Witch_ with Mommy and Liam, I liked that part a lot. It was almost like they were cooking." She took a bite of her pasta before she continued. "Do you like potions, Daddy?" It was the first time she had called him 'Daddy', not really speaking much the last time she met him.

The name also seemed to have had an effect on Severus as well as he remained speechless for a few moments before recovering. "Uh, I do. I teach the class."

"I would love to see you make some. That is… if Mommy lets me." Hermione watched the entire exchange as she ate her food. He had written her that this would be the last time the twins saw him, but Evie's declaration seemed to have changed… something. "Can I Mommy?"

"We'll see, love. We still have a lot to do." Evie almost whimpered and Hermione quickly added to her statement. "If we have time and if… Daddy doesn't mind, then I guess we could go watch." She looked at Snape. He had an unreadable expression as he watched Evie.

"Hermione?" As her name was called, Hermione looked around to see Harry. "What are you do—" He stopped immediately as he saw Snape.

"What's the matter Potter?"

Harry glared for a moment before he responded. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I spend dinner getting to know my own children? I have not seen them in almost five years now." The smirk that fell onto Snape's features almost challenged Harry.

Hermione bit her inner cheek as Harry looked at her. She seemed small. This wasn't how she wanted him to find out, just like she didn't want Ginny to find out. "What the bloody hell are you doing with him, Hermione? And what does he mean child…" Harry stopped and looked at Liam, then Snape, then Evie and then back to Snape. "They're… they're his."

"Well nothing seems to get passed you, now does it, Potter?" Dabbing his mouth with his napkin, Snape grabbed a couple galleons and sickles and placed them on the table before standing. "It was nice while it lasted Miss Granger. They certainly are enjoyable to be around. Especially the girl." He looked to Evie. "Whenever you want to come see me with a Potions class just let your mother know. She'll owl me to let me know." He looked to Liam and bid him a goodbye.

Harry just stood there the entire time, looking rather dumbfounded. "Harry, let me explain…" Hermione tried, unsure of how he was going to take it. "It wasn't a romantic love interest, I promise… I just… Voldemort didn't think he was worthy…" She bit her bottom lip as Harry just stood there saying nothing. Without finishing her dish, Hermione stood, grabbed a galleon and a few sickles and placed them on the table. "Come on kids." They began to complain that they hadn't finished their dinner, but with a quick promise that she would get them ice cream; they got up and followed their mother, followed by Harry.

"Hermione… what was going on? You… you were getting along. With _Snape_."

"I am well aware of who was with us. And I asked him to be civil for the twins."

"But he's their bloody father?"

"And?"

"And… and!" Harry stood there, his eyes wide wondering why she wasn't as concerned as he was. "Hermione. Severus Snape is Evie and Liam's father? The greasy git was out of his dungeons… to meet _his _twins?"

"Yes…?" Hermione shuffled to the side as each child stood behind their mother. This was a different side to the Harry they had met and didn't like it one bit. "Harry, please. You're causing a much unneeded scene." As Harry stopped yelling, he looked around to see that many bystanders had stopped to watch the dispute. "We can talk about this at Molly and Arthur's later tonight. I'll explain everything. I promise." When it looked as if Harry wasn't going to scream much more, Hermione grabbed a hand of each child and walked towards the ice cream shoppe.

Harry stood there for a mere minute before he ran in the direction Hermione brought Evie and Liam. "Hermione, wait." The brunette witch stopped and turned around as Harry came to a stop right in front of her. "Hermione, please… you need to explain this to me."

Hermione continued walking to the Ice Cream Shoppe. After waiting in line for a couple of minutes, she ordered one chocolate and one vanilla ice cream. Hermione ushered the kids to a seat where they could eat their ice cream while she spoke with Harry. "I will explain. Just not now. Not in front of them." Her eyes traveled to the twins before bringing them back to Harry. "I promise I'll explain tonight. The entire story." That seemed to appease him for the time being. With a farewell to the twins and Hermione, Harry left.

When Hermione and the twins got back to the Burrow, she found the house busy and full with Weasleys galore. Everyone was in the dining area chatting about what everyone had been up to for that week. Looking around the area, Hermione saw Bill and Fleur sitting with a young girl squished in between them. Next to Fleur were Luna and Ron. On the other side of the table were Harry, Ginny, and Charlie. Next to Harry sat Mrs. Weasley at one head of the table. Next to Charlie, George sat next to his brother with Angelina next to him, the bouncing toddler she had seen before sitting on his mother's lap. At the other head of the table sat Arthur.

Mrs. Weasley was the first to notice the brunette and children. "Oh, Hermione. Are you hungry, dear?"

"Oh, no Molly. The twins and I already ate." Hermione smiled at the group. "I'm going to put the twins to bed and I'll be down." Walking out of the room, Hermione ushered Evie and Liam upstairs and gave each a quick bath and put them to bed. With a story of _The Lonely Little Colt_ to get them off to bed, Hermione gave each a kiss good night and closed the door. Walking down the stairs, she came to face the entire living Weasley family. George and Angelina sat on the couch with Bill and Fleur; both children were gone. Ron sat on a plush chair with Luna on his lap. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat on another couch with Harry and Ginny, Lily in her arms. And finally, Charlie stood near the fireplace. All eyes were on her.

"H-hey everyone…" Hermione looked to see one chair was purposefully left empty for her to sit in. Sitting, her eyes went straight to Harry and Ginny who both gave reassuring smiles. "I guess you are all wondering why I left." With a forced laugh, Hermione closed her eyes.

"Just tell us slowly. Take your time, Hermione." She lifted her head to Ginny's voice and gave a weak smile.

"W-well…" She took in a breath, willing her heart to stop racing. "I left because I found out I was pregnant. Obviously." She stopped for a second before she started her story. "A few months before the end of my last year, I was sitting by the lake when I had a pair of arms wrap around me. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by Death Eaters." Hermione's mind launched back in time to when her ordeal occurred:

_The figure stopped walking once they were far enough for anyone to see them from the castle and threw her on the ground. She dared to raise her glance and look around; thirty Death Eaters encircled her. She felt the presence of evil behind her and slowly turned to see Voldemort staring at the Death Eater who dragged her from the group. "Wonderful job, Lucius. Have you received word from Severus yet?"_

_Hermione whipped her head back to see the man Voldemort spoke to, platinum blonde hair framed his cold grey eyes and they had no emotion, save for hatred for the girl in front of him. She watched him nod; his glaring at her remained unbroken. "Yes my Lord. He will be here shortly."_

_Voldemort nodded and looked back at Hermione. "Come come, my dear girl. We just have a message to relay for Potter." The voice was close to her ear. She could feel the warm breath of Voldemort on her neck. Hermione was positive that she didn't want to know their message; Death Eaters didn't usually let their intentions known by owl post. She closed her eyes as she heard another set of footfalls join the group and heard Voldemort's voice, full of power. "Ah, Severus. Welcome to our party."_

_The voice held a faint hint of amusement and Hermione had to open her eyes. She saw her potions professor standing before the Dark Lord. His expression was nonplussed as he looked from Hermione to Voldemort. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't the happiest in being there._

_"I have a job for you. I have been given a sort of… rumour that you haven't been entirely loyal to me." Voldemort sounded as if he had to search for a word and used one that just didn't seem to fit perfectly. Still, he went on. "Lucius has graciously brought me Miss Granger to help give a message to Potter." Snape looked as if he were going to open his mouth to say something when the evil male behind her began to speak again. "I entrust that Miss Granger will give my message to the boy, but who is to say I cannot make her fear for her life in the process."_

_Her attention strayed away from Voldemort's conversation with his loyal subjects. Hermione let her mind flutter. _Must find an exit… got to get to Harry and Ron… _Her mind raced as she looked around her. They were in a forest, so surely there was a means of escape. There were no exits. All around her were Death Eaters, surrounding them in a circle. She tugged on her arms and winced when she felt Voldemort's grip tightened. She visibly gulped down the bile that was slowly rising in her throat. Her eyes began to water with tears at the realization that she was their captive and planned on letting her go when they were finished._

_Hermione's eyes widened as she listened to the man behind her. She looked for a twinkle of hope in Snape's dull, black eyes that he wouldn't harm her. She was at a loss when nothing was found. Shutting her eyes, she feared for the worst and tried to keep her cries down. "What is it that you suggest I do to the girl?" Snape drawled at the Dark Lord. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Hermione had for what Voldemort wanted him to do to her._

"_Show me that you are still my loyal follower, Severus." She heard Snape's footsteps walk past her – at first hesitant – as she heard the Dark Lord whisper something to Snape. She only realized that it was truly happening when she felt herself grabbed by two of the Death Eaters. It was then that she opened her eyes to see Snape unzip his trousers and felt Lucius pull away her knickers._

_She struggled against the men who held her there. She began kicking her legs and watched as both Malfoy and Snape backed away from her before two more men grabbed onto her legs. "Stop!" She screamed. Hermione felt the two presences come closer again. Malfoy tried to take her lips in a kiss and she bit down as hard as she could. She heard him swear which left her feeling slightly proud. It wasn't until she felt the searing pain and let out a deafening scream as her Professor pushed into her roughly. Her head thrashed from side to side trying her hardest to kick and move her arms about. Tears fell feely as she felt the rough thrusts grow more erratic. "Please Professor… stop. Please." She begged him. Her eyes met his and only found the dusky eyes held nothing but darkness. The pain had dimmed but it left her feeling cold. When Snape finished, he stood up, removing himself from Hermione before he righted his clothing once again._

_Snape looked down at Hermione as she lay there bruised and battered. She slowly slipped in and out of consciousness. Between her legs the product of his release as well as blood was smeared on her legs and the forest ground beneath her. "Good Severus. Make sure she gets back to the castle and gives my message to Potter." Snape just nodded as he gathered Hermione in his arms and brought her to the castle. It was one of the last things Hermione remembered before she woke up in her bedroom._

"That bastard." Ron exclaimed. Hermione had tears running down her cheeks. Today had been the first time she remembered Snape bringing her back to the castle. "I'll kill him."

"Ron, you will do no such thing." Hermione whispered. The shock on most of the faces in the room turned to Hermione. Why wouldn't she want Ron to hurt him? "I-I'm handling this on my own. He… he's taken to the twins. Well, since this afternoon when Evie said she wanted to know more about potions."

"Hermione, dear, how can you just be that accepting?" Molly spoke up. "Severus may have helped us with the war, but that doesn't excuse his actions towards you."

"If he didn't do what Voldemort asked of him, both him and I would have been killed." Hermione spoke, remembering his response to her when she had asked him about it. "He did what he had to, to keep me safe and alive."

"Hermione, what happened after? Did you tell McGonagall?"

"No, Ginny. I didn't. I was scared and nervous. Even more so when Madame Pomfrey told me I was pregnant."

"What made you decide to leave?" Harry asked her.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek before she spoke. "I was afraid of the questions. Questions I wouldn't have had answers to at the time." She turned in her seat, feeling uncomfortable answering these questions. "I also didn't want to face Snape about it."

"But we could have helped you, dear."

"You may have been able to help me, Molly, but when the twins were born, you would have had questions about the father. Just look at the last two weeks I was here. None of you let me get a word in edgewise. I had to dodge questions because I wasn't ready. I'm not even sure I'm ready now." Once Hermione was done talking, Ron stood up and stormed out of the room. Harry quickly got up and raced after him, unsure as to what the redhead was planning.

Ginny stood up, gave Lily to her mother and walked over to Hermione and engulfed the brunette in a hug. After a moment of shock, Hermione returned the hug. "What happened afterwards?" Ginny whispered lightly. "Did you just leave once you were done and packed?" Hermione sighed. The silence told Ginny she didn't want to respond.

"Yes." She answered softly. "Yes Ginny, I did. The moment I got to my parents' house, I grabbed everything I would need before finding a place I knew no one would be able to find me." Hermione rested her head against Ginny's shoulder. "I left for Florida and found a cute little townhouse that was for Rent. The woman who lived there passed away when Evie and Liam were a couple years old and she left the house to her own kids who gave it to me." Hermione stopped before she picked her head up to look at Ginny – slipping from the hug. "If Draco hadn't found me on accident, I would still be enjoying my life back there with my friends and co-workers.

Ginny took a step back from her. "With your friends?"

"That's not what I meant, Gin. My new friends that I made in Florida. Did you think I'd become a recluse after they were born? I still had bills to pay, food to buy to keep Liam and Evie fed."

"What about your friends here? We worried about you, searched for you. Ron left for months trying to find you." Ginny was growing angry. "Harry searched for you. Ron went to Malfoy. Malfoy, Hermione… Ron was _that_ desperate." Hermione took a step back. The Weasley fury was not something to tamper with.

Looking around, Hermione found that everyone had left the living area save for Ginny and herself. "I-I'm sorry, Ginny." It was all she could really say at the moment. "I didn't mean enjoying my life there. I had wanted to come back so many times. I wanted to tell my parents about the twins; tell you, Ron, and Harry." Hermione bit her bottom lip for a second, trying to phrase it so that Ginny would understand. "I was afraid of having to see _him_." She said. "I was afraid of what he'd say to me. And Draco…" Hermione cut off to chance a look at Ginny. She had calmed down a lot as she plopped into the couch.

"We just thought something bad happened to you. That Death Eaters got to you." Ginny replied, defeated. "We were horrified that they had taken you as prisoner. Harry didn't want anything to do with the War. Ron just laid in his bed in his room. It wasn't until after the war did they realize that you were truly gone. That your disappearance had nothing to do with the war."

"I do wish I could redo what happened." Hermione said softly. "I wanted to help the boys with the war. They weren't ready for it."

"None of us were. But we fought. We found a lot of people were on our side. Malfoy for one. A lot of parents took their kids out of school because everyone thought V-Voldemort was going to attack there first."

"I really am sorry, Gin. Just know that I did want to be there."

"I know, Hermione."

The conversation between the two friends ended abruptly when George and Charlie came in, telling them that Ron and Harry had taken off. "Where did they go?" asked Hermione.

"Don't know…" said George. "One minute, he was ranting and raving like a lunatic and then Harry said that Ron needed to relax."

It wasn't until early the next morning did Ron and Harry come back. Molly was the first to be shoved off to bed, Bill telling his mother that he would inform her when they got back. Ginny, Lily, and Luna were the next to leave, both women going home to the Potter household. Angelina and George were the next to leave, mostly due to the fact that they had to get back to the house to relieve the babysitter they had gotten. Hermione sat up with Bill, Charlie, Fleur, and Arthur. No one said a thing. Everyone just stared at each other before Hermione sighed. "This is my fault."

"Of course it isn't, Hermione." Fleur responded to the younger woman. "You did what you thought was best."

"Yes, but if I had stayed, then this wouldn't have happened."

"You would have had to explain the children's father sooner or later." Arthur said.

"I… I meant back in Florida. I should have stayed there. I shouldn't have let Draco talk me into coming back." This kept everyone quiet. Hermione still regretted coming back. "The kids and I were fine there."

"But what about Ron?" Bill asked. "All Fleur and I ever heard was how much Ron was going nuts over not being able to find you. He was beginning to think you were dead."

"I know… I do know that. That's all I ever heard about Ron. He missed me and looked for me and went to Malfoy in a desperate attempt to find me." Hermione growled. Fleur got up from the table fretfully, saying something about Gabrielle watching Victoire and needed to get home. With a kiss to Bill's cheek, Fleur left into the living room where a slight green light could be seen as she used the Floo Network to get home. Hermione rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry." She murmured quietly.

Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it for a moment. "It's okay, Hermione. Ron just needs some time to blow steam off." Hermione just nodded. The silence returned with the tense air. Before she knew it, Hermione was the only one left in the kitchen nursing a chilled cup of tea. She remembered Arthur saying it was late and retired for the evening; even remembered Charlie slipping out of the room to leave. She didn't remember when Bill left. Pushing the cup of tea away from her head, she rested on the table, closing her eyes.

Not a minute later, the door to the Burrow burst opened to reveal Ron and Harry. Startled, Hermione opened her eyes to look around. Ron looked weary and ready to just hit the floor. Harry was almost exactly the opposite. He looked alert and noticed Hermione in the kitchen. "Sorry, followed him to a pub where I could keep an eye on him." Hermione gave him a weak smile. "Couldn't have him beat up the only thing the twins have learned as a father."

The smile faded and she shook her head. "I don't think I'm going to go see him again."

"Why not? Evie seemed to enjoy him." Harry seemed to think for a moment. "At least, what I had noticed."

Hermione nodded. "Still, I doubt he wants to see them again. And now that everyone knows who their father is, I don't know if I want everyone asking whether I'm seeing him or not. I'm tired of eluding answers." She watched Harry for a minute. "Why did you bring him back here? I think Luna is waiting at your house with Ginny."

"Do you really think Luna wants to see this?" Harry pointed at Ron who looked to be about to hit the floor. A slight drool was drying at the corner of his mouth. "I thought I'd spare her the traumatizing sight." The woman just nodded, seemingly agreeing with Harry. "Everyone leave?"

"Yeah, pretty much. They figured you had a handle on the situation. Still, I think Bill was the last to leave; only I can't remember when he left."

"Ronald? You're home." Molly came rushing into the kitchen when she caught sight of her son's bright red hair. "Goodness, Ronald, you're drunk." Exclaimed the older woman.

"Heya, Mum." Ron said, his steps rather ungraceful as he walked towards his mother. "Y'know… I fig'red somethin' out… I know who the tw…tw… kids look like." Ron looked at Hermione. "I know whose they are. They're… they're… Profess'r Sev'us Snape." He started stumbling over to Hermione. "You slept with him, didn't you. Ye wanted it too, didn't ya?"

"Ronald, stop all this nonsense." Molly scolded. "We know who the father is." Molly turned to Harry. "Bring him upstairs to his old bedroom, please." Molly turned around and rummaged for an old cauldron. "I should start working on that headache potion." She muttered to herself. Hermione watched as Harry brought the drunken fool out of the kitchen and started up the stairs. Hermione turned to watch the old woman for a few moments before she decided to go upstairs to where the twins were still asleep.

Walking into the bedroom, she watched how peaceful the twins looked asleep. She was trying to keep them out of this mess as much as possible. Hermione went to sit on Liam's bed, stroking his hair back. He had finally regained his strength back. Hermione looked over at Evie's form. She had somehow defeated the cold before it even started. From the other room, Hermione heard talking. "She ruined ev'rything 'Arry…" Ron's voice rang out, the drunken slur still present. "I loved 'er and she didn't love me back. 'Stead, she went for Snape."

"Ron? Did you even listen to a work Hermione said? It wasn't her choice." Standing up, Hermione forgot all about waking the twins and stepped out into the hallway where she could hear the conversation better.

"Doesn't matter. She still didn't love me."

"Is that what this is really about?" Harry asked. "If it is, go ask her if she loved you." Hearing footfalls come closer, Hermione quickly darted back into the room where the children were sleeping. This time, she really woke them up.

"Mommy?"

"Morning Liam." Hermione said softly. The little boy stretched in the bed before turning over. "Time to get up, sweetheart." Hermione roused the child again, trying to get him up. She then went to the bed her daughter was sleeping on and woke her as well.

"Good morning, Momma." Evie yawned.

"Morning, love. Sleep well?" Evangeline nodded, scratching her nose before waking up.

"'Ermione! Did you ever love me?"

"Ron? What?" Hermione tried to look as confused as possible.

"Did you ever love me?" Ron repeated himself.

Hermione had to think on her feet to dodge the question. She wasn't really sure of that answer. "Ron, I need to get the twins up. We're heading to my parents' house for the day." Walking past him, she got out a pair of jeans for each kid as well as a shirt and jumper. Pushing Ron out of the room, she continued to ignore him while going to the bedroom she was using for the time being. Tossing on a new pair of slacks as well as a cleaned shirt, Hermione came out of her room to see both twins set. "Ready for breakfast?" They nodded in unison.

"I asked you a question, 'Ermione." Ron continued as they went down the stairs. "Do you love me?"

Letting the kids go ahead, Hermione turned on her heel to look at Ron. "Are you asking if I still love you now, Ron? Or still if I ever loved you?" Hermione shook her head. "Once upon a time, probably. But now? No. I love you as a brother." With that, she turned back around and finished her way down the stairs into the kitchen. "Good morning, Molly."

Turning around, Mrs. Weasley looked at Hermione. "Morning, dear. Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Sadly, no. I stayed up pretty much till they came in this morning. I was worried about Ron."

"Maybe you shouldn't have just blatantly come out with your story last night."

"Come out with my story? You all were the ones constantly asking who the twins' father was. You and everyone else constantly badgered me about telling my story." Hermione's anger levels grew. "Don't stand there, telling me that I shouldn't have told everyone what happened to me when it was you all asking me what happened and why I disappeared." Hermione stopped for a second before adding on; "and no, I was never ashamed of my children's lineage. I was protecting them. Liam, Evangeline, we're going to Grandmum and Granddad's for breakfast." Grabbing their coats, Hermione grabbed each child's hand and ushered them outside before making her way to the side of the road to pick up a pebble to transform into a portkey.

"Momma? Why was Nanna Molly so upset?

"Hush, Evie. I don't want to talk about it." Once the pebble was spelled, she told each child to touch the rock. "Stay close to Mummy." She told them. The familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach launched as it took her to a darkened street where no one was living before looking to see that both kids were alright. Evie had just about lost her balance, wobbling back and forth, while Liam had completely fallen to the ground on his bum. "Sorry, son." She told him, picking him back up on his feet. Taking each hand, she walked the children to her parents' house.

A knock came to the door and Hermione smiled when she saw the face of her father. "Welcome, Hermione. We didn't know you were coming today."

"Sorry I didn't call. I've been having a rough couple days and was hoping the twins and I could come for breakfast." As if on cue, her mother came out of the kitchen, a smile on her face to see her daughter.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Jane said to her daughter. "Come in, come in, of course you and the children can have breakfast." The small family of three walked into the house and removed their jackets. "I'm making scrambled eggs with bacon." Jane said before going back into the kitchen.

"I've missed your breakfasts, Mum." Hermione said, bringing the twins into the kitchen to help set plates on the dinner table. "What do your days consist of today?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I have a meeting today around two, but your mother will be home today. Unless she is called in." Mr. Granger said, placing out forks and glasses for milk.

"The chances of that are slim though." Jane stated. Scooping the eggs into a bowl, she brought them over to the table. "Time to eat." Hermione helped seat the twins and got each of them a cup of milk before giving each a helping of eggs with bacon. When everyone was settled in, a calm conversation opened up. "So, Hermione, any reason why you dropped by?"

"Do I really need a reason, Mum?"

"Well," Jane started, "I guess not. I just thought that maybe you had something you wanted to explain." Her gaze went over to the twins eating.

"Well, yes. I did want to explain that. I think I'm ready. I'm just worried how you'll react. It's not a pretty story." Hermione told her parents. She took a few bites, using it as an excuse to think on her own for a minute. She had to somehow get the kids to play in a different room while she told her parents the awful thing that happened to her. She also needed to make sure she could keep a watchful eye over them as well.

"Just take your time, Hermione. We have the whole morning for you to explain." Mr. Granger chimed in. Hermione just nodded and finished her breakfast in peace and quiet. She took up the dishes when they were all finished and cleaned them with her mum while her father took the twins to play.

"Is it really as bad as you say, love?" Her mother asked while they washed and dried.

"Yes, Mum. I don't want the twins in the same room with us while I tell you as well."

"Then why bring them here?" questioned Jane.

"Because things were getting too hectic at the Burrow." When she noticed her mother's brows furrow, Hermione quickly helped her mother understand. "Where the Weasleys live." Hermione let out a sigh. "I told them last night about it and Ron went crazy. Just leaving with Harry in tow only to come back early this morning flat out smashed."

"I see, I see." Hermione knew her mother didn't truly understand, but she was trying.

"Not to mention that Molly blamed it on me this morning. The reason Ron left." She was holding back tears. The things Molly said to her that morning really did hurt. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at her mother. Letting the dishes fall to the counter lightly, Hermione wrapped her arms around her mother in a tight hug. Jane just returned the hug, holding her only child close. Letting go of her mother, Hermione resumed drying the dishes they had used from breakfast.

Once the dishes were done, Hermione and Jane joined Mr. Granger and the twins in the family area of the house. The twins were sitting on the floor as they coloured on the coffee table. Taking up residence on a plush chair, Hermione watched her mother join her father on the loveseat sofa. "That was a wonderful breakfast, darling." Mr. Granger placed a kiss on his wife's forehead before looking back at the twins colouring. "So, you were going to tell your mother and me about those two children, weren't you?" Her father asked her. With a nod, Hermione just looked at the twins.

"Take your time, pet." Jane told her daughter.

Again, Hermione nodded. "During my last year, things got bad. Very bad." She started. "The threats were getting worse and the war was so close." She knew it wasn't what they wanted to hear. It wasn't what they planned for their only child. "One day… one day I was grabbed by death…" she stopped again. How was she going to explain this so that her parents understood? "By men who were working for the evil Lord." That was just going to have to do. Every so often, she looked to the twins whom both just kept colouring. She didn't want them listening, but how was she going to ask her children to leave the room?

"Did they hurt you?" It sounded almost angry, coming from her father. "Did they do something to you and now you're trying to tell us that these kids are the product what they did to you?"

"Dad, stop. Just let me explain." Hermione saw out of the corner of her eyes that they twins began listening in. "Dad, please."

"Hermione, those men hurt you. Why are you acting so calm?"

"Dad, just… I know who their father is. I've been in contact with him. The twins know their dad." Hermione tried to reason.

"Who? Who did this?" He continued to question his daughter. Hermione looked like a deer caught in headlights. She looked to her mother, praying for her to say something, to calm her father down.

"David, please, quit this and let Hermione tell her story." Jane chimed in. Hermione thanked her mother with a look. She was grateful for her mother telling her father off.

"Grandmum… I need to go to the bathroom." Evie piped in. Hermione's attention went to her daughter as she walked up to her grandmother. Hermione wanted to take the little girl herself, get out of the stuffy room, but Jane took her granddaughter's hand and brought her to where the loo was located.

"Dad, I need you to stop getting angry. I know you're upset about what happened, everyone else was too. They all wanted to go bang on the castle doors and drag him out to beat him within an inch of his life."

"Castle? Was it someone at school? Was it one of those friends of yours?" David asked.

"What? Dad, no. It was—" _Shit._ It was the only thing that came to mind. She had really screwed up now and was going to catch hell for it. Why did she have to say the castle? Why couldn't she have just said doors?

"Do you mean Daddy? He's a teacher at the school. He teaches potions and is going to show me and Evie how to make them." William said, speaking for the first time. Hermione tried hushing him, but he had just continued on, telling Grandpa all about meeting his Daddy.

"Your teacher raped you?" That was it, the boiling point. Mr. Granger had enough of it all. "That bloody bastard. I want to meet this potions teacher of yours." It was about at this time Mrs. Granger and Evie came back. "Jane, her teacher is their father. He got her pregnant." David stood up. "I'm going to murder him." Liam clung to his mother's leg when David blew up. He just couldn't understand why everyone was yelling now and getting upset at his mother. Hermione placed a reassuring hand on the boy's back and glanced to see her daughter mimicking her brother.

"David, stop it. You're scaring the children." Mrs. Granger scolded. Jane picked up her granddaughter and held out her hand for Liam. With some convincing from Hermione Liam grabbed her hand and they walked off. The room stayed quiet until Jane returned. "Well then, the children are in Hermione's old room watching some cartoons." She told the father and daughter duo. "Now, why don't we all be adults and talk this through. David, Hermione, sit." Both sat down, neither of them looking at Jane. Hermione was the first to be scrutinized by her mother's wrath. "Hermione, first you leave us with a note that doesn't say much. Your father and I began to think the worst had happened. That you had gotten into something bad enough that it killed you. We thought that we had lost our only daughter… our only child." Jane then whirled towards her husband; it was his turn. "And David, sitting there putting pressure on your daughter isn't going to help her tell us anymore than she is. I'm aware as to what we went through; I was present for that as well, but if we sit there, demanding answers from her, she's less likely to answer them." Jane sat on the sofa on the other side of the room, her eyes going back and forth between her daughter and her husband. "Besides, if Hermione is working everything out with their father, then maybe we should butt out for the time being." With that said and done, Jane turned back to her daughter, finishing up with what she needed to tell her. "Five years later you come waltzing back into our readjusted lives with two children. And when we ask of their existence, you deny us that answer."

"But Mum, I…"

"No. None of your excuses. You leave us and come back expecting our love and acceptance for those two vulnerable babies." Jane took a breath. "I love those little ones… as if they were my own. And I want them to have a stable and loving life."

"Mum, they do…"

"With both parents."

"Jane… you want that monster watching those kids? Do you know what he did to your own daughter? What if he turns onto them? And that little girl."

"Dad, he won't. I know he won't. I-I think he's beginning to like them. Really like them. Especially Eve. Mum, Daddy, you don't understand the situation he was put into."

"Then explain it to us. Tell us how your teacher raped you." David said.

"He used to be part of the dark circle. Until he came to teach at the school. He became a spy for the good side. The Dark Lord thought he wasn't a worthy and was becoming a traitor. Like an idiot, I got myself caught by these men and my professor was called to show them that he was still on their side. Daddy… if he didn't rape me, I could have died. They could have killed me. In a sense, he was protecting me." For a moment, Hermione watched her father sneer before letting his features become soft in defeat.

"Is he trustworthy?"

Hermione turned to her mother to answer her question. "To me, he is. For so long I was in the dark as to why he raped me. But when Dra—when a friend brought me to see my professor, we talked it over. Well, more argued it over, but he told me everything. He also carried me back to the castle. And brought me to my room where I woke up."

"I want to meet him." Hermione was unsure of this. "I promise not to beat him." With that promised, Hermione nodded. She doubted that they would ever meet Severus Snape , but at least giving them some type of hope might get them off her back for a while. With his identity out of the way, Hermione round up the twins to bring them back to the Burrow.

**Coming Soon:** Next up... Confrontations and anger-induced body-binds.

**Author's Notes:** I know it has been a while since I've updated and a lot of that has to do with writer's block. Four fifths of this story was written back when the fifth chapter was put up back in the summer and I just had a hard time trying to figure out where I should have taken it from there. But now that I have my third (and praying my last) beta, she has helped me a lot with this chapter and as well as my others finding little plot holes that needed to be filled in. To me, the end of this chapter seemed a bit forced, but after revising it, I think I made it look okay. Let's hope you all think so as well. Now with this new beta, hopefully she can keep on my tail about my chapters and help me finish this story completely. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed our sixth installment and hopefully the seventh will be out rather soon.

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter franchise does not belong to me, it belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Also, _The Worst Witch _belongs to Jill Murphy who wrote the book and Prism Entertainment who released it onto VHS.**

_Title Courtesy of a Dutch Proverb_


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